


The Kissing Booth

by EmmaKeladry



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Academy Era, Alternate Universe - College/University, Culmets - Freeform, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Starfleet Academy, space boos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-07-02 13:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15797685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaKeladry/pseuds/EmmaKeladry
Summary: Paul is stuck working at the Starfleet Academy Carnival… in the kissing booth. He doesn’t expect to kiss a handsome stranger who disappears. He has no idea where to find the man who kissed him like that. But fate knows how to bring them together.AU, Academy era fic. If Paul and Hugh met at the Academy not in the cafe.





	1. A Chance Meeting

Cadet Paul Stamets rushed across the quad, barely holding onto his canvas book bag. Rain poured down, soaking every part of his clothing and dripped from his hair. His red converse shoes squeaked as he slid across the smooth stone in the center of the quad. Paul almost dropped his bag. Thunder rumbled. Lightning flashed overhead, making him wish for the sixteenth time that he’d taken a transport instead of risking walking in the rain. He thought he could make it before it started. But after only three minutes of his walk, it down poured. Paul was supposed to be at his lab almost an hour ago, but he’d got stuck helping another student in one of his classes. No one moved in the corridor of the science building. He moved his bag to his left arm and placed his hand on the hand scanner. It beeped a moment later. The door to his lab slid open. He could hear the loud music as soon as he entered. With one hand, he tried to wipe the rain from his face on his wet sleeve.

“Straal. Straal!” Paul shouted, setting his things on his pristine desk. “Turn it down! I can’t hear myself think.” He lowered his voice as the music cut off. “I don’t think the kids appreciate your taste in music.”

Justin Straal pushed his chair back so he could see Paul. “It’s classic music! Prince. I’m sure the kids love it. What took you so long?”

“Tutoring. Unwillingly.” Paul frowned as he pulled up the latest readings on their kids. He needed to change out of his wet clothes, but not yet. “I’m reading two percent growth. The humidity is off again.”

“Sorry.” Straal shrugged. “You missed the meeting with the Exotic Science Club.”

Paul huffed. “Waste of time. I need to be working with my mushrooms.”

“Well, we signed up for volunteering at the Starfleet Academy Carnival tomorrow.”

Now that was a complete waste of time. Paul had no intention of showing up at the carnival as a volunteer or as an excited participant. It was a time to allow families to visit the academy, to visit their cadets, and to have “fun”. Paul didn’t find dodging vomit, screaming over-sugared children, flashing lights, and huge crowds as fun. Nope. If he didn’t have to volunteer to be part of the Exotic Science Club, he’d be locking himself in the lab the whole day and ignoring all of the festivities. Their club sponsor, Professor Hernandez, loved the carnival and insisted all of them volunteer or not be allowed to participate in the club.

Paul headed to the bathroom and grabbed a towel. He ran it over his face and through his hair. He hated getting water in his eyes. He stepped back out as he attempted to blot some of the moisture from his clothing.

“You weren’t there, so I signed you up for a booth,” Justin casually said.

Paul froze. “What?”

“Yep. I signed you up for a booth from two to three tomorrow afternoon.”

Paul felt his stomach drop. “What booth?”

Straal grinned. “You’ll be working the kissing booth from two to three.”

He started laughing at the horrified look on Paul’s face. Paul shook his head. _No_. There was no way he was going to work a kissing booth, kissing strange women and men in front of a group of people. He hated public displays of affection. “No way! I’m not… _kissing_ a bunch of people for fun. Was that the only open spot?”

Straal leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “There was also face-painting, but I’ve seen you attempt to draw. Not that good.”

“But kissing? Since when is Starfleet recommending that their cadets exchange bodily fluids with each other and with strangers in the name of charity?”

“Kissing Booths have been at carnivals for years. You just never go to them.” Straal rolled his eyes. “You can try to get out of it, but Professor Hernandez won’t let you. You have to volunteer or he won’t let you work in the lab for three weeks.”

Paul dropped into his chair. “Three weeks?”

“Yep.”

“Fine. I’ll do it!” Paul dropped the towel onto his bag and turned to face his desk. “Can we get to work now? We’re wasting more time.”

He completely forgot about changing his clothes. Paul dove into his work, studying the latest readings of his spores and disappearing into the specimen area for more than three hours. Straal left around 2300, reminding Paul to be ready for the kissing booth tomorrow. Paul barely heard him. He made quite a bit of progress.

Around noon, he emerged from the lab and headed to his apartment that he shared with Straal. He had to get cleaned up before the carnival. The small two bedroom apartment had a small kitchenette. Cold coffee remained in the pot. Paul poured himself a cup and took a sip. He made a face at the taste. At least it was caffeine. Paul slipped off his clothes, finding his socks were still slightly damp. He showered, lingering to soak up as much of the warmth as he could before getting out. He brushed his teeth, making sure his breath didn’t stink. Maybe that would deter people wanting to kiss him. A note on the digital screen on the fridge in the kitchen drew his attention.

_Make sure to bring your lip gloss. – Straal_

Paul wiped the note away. He still had an hour until he had to leave. He lay down on couch and closed his eyes, letting himself relax. An hour of sleep would make him feel better.

*~*~*

Paul tucked his hands in the pockets of his jacket. It was early fall, but there was a slight chill in the air. He should’ve grabbed his black and white scarf. Paul hated to be cold. The sights and sounds of the carnival surrounded him. Little kids ran past him, laughing as one of them pointed at a brightly colored pink and blue cotton candy stand. He smiled, but it fell. A young woman hung on her boyfriend’s arm as he slammed a hammer down. Out of the corner of his eyes, Paul saw the lights on the spinning carnival ride he didn’t know the name of. He glanced up at the Ferris wheel in the middle of the carnival. Nope. That thing looked like a death trap masquerading as a “thrilling” ride. A family paused near him, one dressed in uniform and smiling as a little boy pulled on his hand. He begged to play the duck game. Laughter and screaming filled Paul’s ears. He headed toward the rows of booths, away from the rides.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder. “You made it!” Straal exclaimed.

Paul frowned. “Yes, I’m here. And I’m ready for this to be over.”

“It’s gonna be fun!” Straal guided him over to a booth with a bright red flashing sign, which said in all capital letters: **KISSING BOOTH.**

An eager cadet with a long brown ponytail smiled at him as they approached. “Cadet Stamets, you are right on time. Are you excited for your shift?” she asked.

Paul opened his mouth to make a comment, but Straal’s foot stomped down on his. Hard. Paul forced a smile on his face. “Yes.”

“Okay. So, you’ll stand at the left table. It’s pretty simple. They turn in one ticket for one kiss. And that’s it.” She smiled, pointing to the empty table. “The guy before you just left, so it’s your turn.”

Paul turned his head and pulled out his lip balm, spreading a little on his bottom lip and rubbing them together. It was now or never. He walked up to the narrow folding table. Straal winked at him. He motioned for him to remove his jacket. It wasn’t that cold, he supposed. Paul slid his jacket off, revealing the nice light blue button down shirt he had underneath. The breeze went through his sleeves, but it wasn’t too bad. The woman headed to the main part of the booth, leaving him standing awkwardly in front of the table. He kept his eyes down, not wanting to look at the small crowd of people waiting to kiss him or laugh at him. He wasn’t sure which.

“Our next stud is Cadet Paul Stamets,” she read from the card. “He is studying Astromycology. He likes drinking coffee, studying his mushrooms, and taking long walks on the beach.”

Where did she get that information? Paul glanced over at Straal, seeing the smug look on his face. Great. Someone stepped behind him with a black scarf. A blindfold. This just kept getting better and better. Paul stayed still as the cadet tied it around his head, obscuring his vision.

“Let’s get started!”

Paul stood in darkness as his heart raced. He hated Straal for making him do this. He hated his own anxiety that told him he wasn’t good enough for this and that no one would want to kiss him. There was a soft thump as someone approached the table in front of him. He lifted his hands and found their shoulders, narrow and small. He leaned forward a little, suspecting this person was shorter than him. A soft sweet peck on the lips and a distinctly feminine giggle filled his ears. He hoped that this girl wasn’t laughing at him.

One down, umpteenth more to go.

The kisses ranged from slobbery wet to scratchy dry, tasting of strawberry lip gloss and garlic bread, from brief pecks to prolonged smooches, and from silent to sweet little words of affirmation before the kiss. They didn’t need to flirt with him, just to kiss him. It was humiliating. Paul tried to keep his spirits up, but he wished he could see his watch to at least let him know how much of his hour was left. Sometimes he had a chance to touch the arm of the person about to kiss him, but other times they came in so quickly that they left him a little winded. It was a very uncomfortable feeling. He tried to pretend it wasn’t bothering him as his hands shook a little and he felt his pulse climbing higher.

Paul felt the blood rush to his cheeks as he heard laughter after a particular odd kiss where the stranger insisted on rubbing both of his ears as they kissed him, mashing their face against his and bringing his lips almost to his nose. He waited until the person walked away and reached up to pull his blindfold off. He turned away from the crowd and steadied himself on the table as the small space spun. His sight focused on a spot on the ground. He felt a hand on his shoulder a moment later.

“You okay, Paul?” Straal whispered.

“Water. Can I have a drink of water?” Paul shivered, rubbing his arms. This was incredibly embarrassing for others to witness his anxiety. His palms were sweaty. “Thanks,” Paul muttered when Straal pressed a cup into his hand.

“I’m sorry, dude. I didn’t mean to make you – like this. I thought it would get you out of your shell a little bit.”

Paul bit back a witty remark, not feeling up to it.

“We can go, if you want.”

Shame burned the back of his neck. He didn’t want to be a quitter. “How many are left?”

“There’s only two left. I can treat you to Bomb-Pop lemonade and a bacon wrapped hotdog.”

Paul made a face. “Bomb-Pop lemonade, like the red-white-and-blue popsicle?”

“Don’t knock it until you try it. It’s amazing.” Straal put a hand back on his shoulder. “You sure you want to finish? You look pale, well paler for you.”

“Let’s just get it over with.”

Straal headed back to the edge of the crowd. Paul held the blindfold in his hand and made no attempt to put it back on. A girl, who couldn’t have been more than seventeen, with red curly hair, and a bounce in her step, slowly approached the table. She smiled softly at him. He tried to smile back.

The girl leaned in closer, whispering, “You’re pretty fantastic.” She kissed him softly on the cheek and disappeared before he could say anything to her.

Alright.

One more kiss.

Paul brushed away his thoughts as he watched the last person pass their ticket to the woman. His brown skin contrasted beautifully with his black leather jacket, which was open and revealed a green t-shirt. He ran his hands against his jeans, which were slightly distressed and were perfectly molded around his legs. Paul could see his muscle definition through his jacket sleeves. Wow. The amount of facial hair he had was absolutely perfect, going with his short hair. Paul looked into the man’s brown eyes, feeling a bit dizzy and not from his anxiety. He tried, but he couldn’t keep himself from blushing at the man in front of him.

“Hi,” the stranger said. His voice was warm and light.

“Hi,” Paul murmured.

The stranger stepped closer to Paul. “Are you feeling okay?” the man asked. Worry was evident in his voice.

It made Paul blush more. “Yeah. I’m okay.”

“Good.”

Before Paul could give an answer or explanation, the man leaned in and kissed him. It felt he’d been shocked as Paul kissed him. His tongue pushed through Paul’s lips as he relaxed. The man lifted his hand and touched Paul’s neck as he deepened the kiss. Paul took a sharp breath and immediately put his right arm around the man, pulling him closer. He used his other arm to slide the light table out of the way. Their bodies pressed against each other. Heat flooded every part of Paul’s body that touched him. Paul moaned softly, causing the man to break the kiss. Paul didn’t move as he attempted to process what had just happened.

“Thank you,” the man said softly.

Paul opened his mouth to say thanks in return, but the man quickly pulled away. Straal bounced up onto the stage, distracting Paul for a moment.

“Dang, now that was a kiss!” Straal exclaimed, slapping his hand on Paul’s shoulder.

Paul looked around him, but the man had disappeared into the crowd. _Damn it._ He didn’t even know the guy’s name, but he knew the man was a fantastic kisser.

“Where…?” Paul started to ask, but he knew it was too late. The handsome stranger was gone.

Straal picked up Paul’s jacket and pressed it into his hand. He barely even noticed that he wasn’t cold anymore. He let Straal pull him into the crowds as he gushed about the Bomb-Pop lemonade and bacon wrapped hotdogs. Paul touched his lips with one finger, hoping he’d see the man again.


	2. Good Luck or Poor Luck?

Paul flipped over in his bed, tossing the blanket off of him. God, he was so hot. It wasn’t even warm in his room. He’d gone to bed at ten, but he still felt exhausted. His head pounded and it felt like he could feel his sinuses throbbing. Paul groaned. He stumbled out of bed and headed to the kitchen where the replicator was. He requested a mild pain reliever. Paul rested his head in the freezer as he waited, hoping that it would cool him down. He hadn’t felt his way in a long time.

The replicator beeped, but nothing happened.

Paul submitted his request again. Still nothing. The replicator beeped twice, signaling a message. Paul quickly listened to it. He’d requested eight pain relievers in two days. The replicator required a palm scan to continue. Medication wasn’t always monitored so closely, but Starfleet made sure too much wasn’t dispensed with a medical authorization. Paul slapped his hand down on the reader. This wasn’t necessary for a headache.

The reader beeped after a minute. “Request denied. Scans indicate body temperature is above standard limits. Unable to comply. Seek a medical professional for evaluation.”

Paul put his head in his hands. His stomach rolled slightly. There was no way he was going to go to the Starfleet Academy Hospital for a headache. He just needed some relief. Paul dragged his feet as he went to Straal’s bedroom door. He knocked once. The loud sound caused him to flinch. Straal didn’t answer, so he knocked again. He realized he should’ve at least checked the time, but he didn’t care at the moment.

“What?” Straal’s low voice came through the door.

“I need your help,” Paul muttered.

Normally, Straal would protest being woken up at odd hours of the night to assist Paul, but he clearly still felt guilty for forcing Paul to do the kissing booth. A moment later, he stumbled into the dim light, dressed in only his boxers.

“What do you need help with?” Straal yawned, rubbing the side of his head and causing his hair to stick up straight.

“The computer won’t let me have any painkillers.”

Straal took a good look at Paul and frowned. “You don’t look very good. What did it say?”

“It told me to seek medical advice.” Paul shivered. He crossed his arms over his chest. The hall felt unusually cold compared to his bedroom. “I just need something to take the edge off this headache so I can sleep.”

Straal opened his mouth, but Paul quickly interrupted him.

“You still owe me for the kissing booth!” Paul snapped. He put a hand on his forehead, cursing himself for yelling.

Straal didn’t say anything else, but requested a pain reliever from the replicator. He passed it to Paul as soon as it was dispensed. Paul quickly administered it to himself and sighed as he felt it flowing into his bloodstream. He glanced up to see Straal hadn’t moved.

“What?” Paul whispered.

“You look awful, Paul. Maybe you should really consider at least going to the ‘Fleet Academy Clinic.”

Paul shook his head. He hated doctors. They treated their patients so impersonally and without regards to how they felt about the whole situation. With his allergies and childhood penance for getting sick, Paul spent more time at the doctor’s office than other kids. He hated every minute of blood draws, chipper nurses, and doctors with an air of superiority that kept them from sympathizing with their patients. Nope. He didn’t want to go to the clinic. He already felt a little better. Besides, he couldn’t leave his kiddos for long and he had an exam coming up. Paul shook his head again and headed to his room without saying anything. He’d feel better in the morning.

If he slept.

Paul tossed and turned most of the night. He studied for a while, finding it more comfortable to sit up his bed with pillows tucked behind his back. Lying flat made him feel worse for some reason. His neck ached. By the time the computer belayed his alarm Paul had slept for about four hours and he felt like a Shuttle-pod had landed on him. Nausea churned in his stomach when he moved around, getting dressed.

“You want coffee?” Straal asked when he emerged from his room.

Paul placed a hand on his stomach as it gurgled. He grabbed his canvas bag from the couch and shouldered it. “No thanks.”

“Really? You don’t want coffee?” Straal set down the coffee pot and picked up his own mug. “Now I know you still don’t feel well. You never refuse coffee.”

It didn’t make sense to argue with his logic. Paul loved coffee more than he loved human interactions most of the time. But not today. He was positive that whatever he ingested would reappear right now.

Straal reminded quiet as they walked to campus together. Paul wanted to protest that he didn’t need anyone walking with him, but he didn’t have the energy. He didn’t even realize that Straal had escorted him to his building until they arrived. Straal’s 0800 class was in the other direction.

“I’ll see you later,” Straal mumbled, quickly turning around before Paul could grill him on why he’d walked that way. “Lunch at noon.”

Had his mental facilities been at full capacity, he might have interpreted the guilt in Straal’s voice. Instead Paul stepped headed into his exam, leaving those thoughts to ponder when he wasn’t trying to remember everything he’d studied and how to keep from getting sick during the test.

 

*~*~*

 

Paul dropped into the booth seat in the cafeteria. He barely remembered the walk across campus. He’d skipped his second class after throwing up in the bathroom. He recalled promising to eat lunch with Straal so they could go over the latest results, but he didn’t feel like eating. His neck felt so stiff. He rubbed the back of it with one hand as he pulled out his PADD. Waiting for Straal to show up, Paul glanced around at the faces in the cafeteria. Part of him hoped he saw the handsome stranger from the carnival. He tried not to think about it, but that kiss felt incredible. The ghost of the stranger’s lips reminded him how wonderful it felt. He saw a flash of red curly hair, recognizing the girl who’d kissed his cheek. But no handsome stranger.

“Hey,” Straal greeted, setting his tray down on the table.

“Hey,” Paul said softly. It came out as little more than a croak.

Straal made a face. “How was your exam?”

He shrugged, not wanting to talk anyway. His throat burned. Talking made it worse.

“Paul, you look like death warmed over. You’re lucky that no one has called for a medical transport for you.” Straal reached across the table and touched Paul’s forehead.

Paul didn’t react fast enough. He batted at Straal’s hand, leaning back against the back of the booth.

“Damn, Stamets. You definitely have a fever. You need to go to the clinic and see a doctor.”

“No. I don’t need a doctor.” There was a slight tone of hysteria in his voice, which made him blush.

“Let’s see, you ran in the rain and never dried off. You kissed a bunch of different people, just two days ago. There’s a strong chance that you’re sick.” Straal sighed. “I’m sorry. I never should’ve made you do the kissing booth. I will keep begging for forgiveness, but for now, let me help me by escorting you to the clinic. I’ll sit with you. I won’t leave you alone with some weird ass doctor. Promise.”

Every part of him wanted to protest, but he did feel _kinda_ sick. Paul nodded. He slowly stood up. Straal abandoned his lunch, putting his arm out incase Paul needed the support. Paul kept his hand on the table as he moved, but he didn’t waver. He shrugged off Straal’s hand as they started walking out of the cafeteria. He felt his anxiety rising, but he fought to stay calm. Straal wasn’t going to leave him. He’d be okay.

Paul started to walk in the direction of the Academy Clinic, but Straal guided him to the transport rail station instead.

“You’ll pass out if we walk that way. I’ll end up carrying you,” he teased.

Paul dozed lightly after they sat down. It wasn’t a long trip, but it felt good to have Straal’s arm touching his. Normally he’d pull away, but he didn’t care right now. He shivered and pulled his jacket tighter. Straal gave him a worried look. The transport rode smoothly, no bumps to upset his queasy stomach more or to move his stiff neck.

“Come on, this is our stop,” Straal said, gently shaking his shoulder.

He must’ve fallen asleep. He started to stand up, but the world spun. Straal grabbed his arm and steadied him. He put his other hand on Paul’s chest to keep him upright.

“You okay to move?”

Paul nodded, but didn’t attempt to move.

Straal threw Paul’s arm over his shoulder and took most of his weight on him. Paul didn’t protest, which made Straal even more concerned about his friend. They walked together the two blocks to the Academy Clinic. The building wasn’t extremely large. It was for more day-to-day illnesses and minor injuries. Serious cases were sent to the Academy Hospital.

Paul and Straal stepped into the Starfleet Academy Clinic. It was fairly quiet, but quite a few people sat in the waiting room. Paul glanced at an Andorian female as she dabbed at blood beneath her eyes. Her skin was covered in a raised red rash. An Orion female coughed into her elbow, a terrible wet barking sound. Two human males sat together as one kept an arm tight against his chest, protecting it from being bumped. Another woman cried softly. Paul felt his anxiety rise. He didn’t want to be here. Straal helped him sit down in an empty chair and headed up to the counter to check him in. Paul slouched in the chair. He wanted to run away, but he didn’t have the strength.

“Hey, I’m here with my roommate and he’s pretty sick,” Straal said to the man at the desk.

“What’s his name?”

“Cadet Paul Stamets.”

There was silence as the man probably pulled up Paul’s medical file. All of the cadets had their files on record, so it was easy to pull up their information such as allergies, past illnesses, and overall medical history. It saved time and prevented medication errors.

“What are his symptoms?” the man asked.

“High fever. Nausea. He’s weak and I think he’s dizzy. He doesn’t exactly like to admit he’s not feeling well. But he let me bring him, so he probably feels pretty shitty.”

Paul watched as the man entered something into the computer. “Okay. We’ll have a nurse do a preliminary scan in a few minutes. It might be a little while before he gets to see a doctor. It’s a busy day.”

“No problem.” Straal tapped his hand on the counter before coming back to sit by Paul. “A nurse will come scan you in a little bit.”

Paul wrapped his arms around his stomach as it flipped. “Great.”

Straal sighed. He grabbed Paul’s bag from his shoulder and pulled out his PADD. He touched the screen and pulled up the nursery feed. He handed it to Paul. “I shouldn’t be doing this, but why don’t you keep an eye on Stella while we wait. I haven’t entered her growth ratios yet today. It might distract you for a while.”

He gave him a small smile. “Thanks Straal.”

Thirty minutes passed before a nurse finally came over to do a preliminary scan. She smiled at them.

“I’m so sorry for the wait. It’s a very busy day.” She glanced at her medical PADD. “Cadet Paul Stamets, correct?”

Paul nodded, trying to sit up a little in the chair and failing. Straal moved to assist him, but Paul shook his head. He feared if he moved now, he’d throw up all over the nurse and his friend. He focused on breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth as the nurse’s scanned him with the tricorder. It beeped after a moment. The nurse’s composure slipped for a just a second, but Paul saw it.

“I’ll be right back.” She smiled. Her shoes clicked as she turned and walked behind the counter with her scan results.

Straal put a hand on his shoulder as Paul shivered and let out a soft moan. He really wanted to go home and sleep in his own bed.

“You’re doing alright,” Straal said, keeping his hand on Paul’s shoulder.

“Liar.”

“Hey, I’m the co-father of our mushroom children. I wouldn’t lie to you like that.”

Paul smiled a little and closed his eyes. He couldn’t think of a witty comeback. He tried to pull his legs up so he could curl into a ball, but there wasn’t space in the plastic chair. Paul bit his lip. How long had they been waiting? Straal must’ve been missing class. Paul was missing his Xeno-Astrophysics class. He tried to sit up.

“I have to go to class. I can’t miss,” he muttered.

“You’re not going anywhere right now.” Straal held him in the chair. “I’ll message your professors and let them know the situation. And I’ll make sure we get a medical excuse for you.”

“I can’t miss –” Paul protested.

“Cadet Stamets?” The nurse had returned. “We are ready for you to come back. Follow me please.”

Straal stood first and guided Paul to standing. He wobbled, almost toppling over. Paul felt the room spin and his stomach lurch. He swallowed. Barely. He let his friend guide him back. He didn’t even realize his eyes weren’t open at first until they stepped into the exam room. It was a small room with a biobed, monitor, and a few other medical devices. Paul bit back a moan as Straal helped him up onto the bed and to lie back. The nurse activated the biobed, letting it taking a deeper scan. She excused herself, saying the doctor would be with them in a moment.

Paul closed his eyes. He could feel the sweat dripping down his forehead and his cheeks were hot. He counted to ten and back down again. Nope. It wasn’t helping. The room spun as his stomach lurched.

“I’m gonna be sick,” Paul hissed.

He pushed himself up in the bed as the door to the exam room opened. He threw up, splattering the white sneakers of the doctor. Paul groaned, absolutely mortified and feeling awful. The remaining strength he had had dissipated and he leaned too far forward. He started to fall from the bed. Strong hands steadied him and helped him lie back on the bed. Paul turned to the doctor and felt his stomach drop. The handsome stranger from the kissing booth smiled at him. His dark brown eyes flashed with amusement and concern.

“Shit.” Paul covered his eyes with his hand, trying to ignore the fact that he was shaking.

“Hello, Cadet Stamets. My name is Doctor Hugh Culber. I’ll be your attending today. I’d ask you how you were feeling, but I think I have a general idea.” His soft voice was comforting and familiar.

It was definitely the handsome man he’d kissed. And he’d just thrown up on the man’s shoes.


	3. For Worse or Worse

“Sorry,” Paul mumbled, trying to lay back. It hurt. He rolled onto his side and closed his eyes tight. His cheeks burned from embarrassment and fever. He couldn’t believe he’d just thrown up on the shoes of the fantastic kisser he’d met in the kissing booth, who now happened to be his doctor. This day couldn’t get worse.

“Don’t worry about it,” Dr. Culber said. He quietly comm’d an orderly to clean up the mess. A quiet man came in a moment later with a mop. He quickly cleaned up the sick and left them alone again.

Paul fought to breathe evenly through the pain. Throwing up had only made the pain in his head worse. It had become a searing pain, almost as if there was a vice around his head squeezing tighter and tighter.

“I’m Cadet Justin Straal, Paul’s roommate. Nice to meet you.”

Paul opened his eyes, watching as they shook hands.

“Same. Now, Cadet, let’s see what’s the problem.” Dr. Culber pulled up his stats and the monitor above the bed activated. Immediately, an alarm went off. He quickly silenced it. “Okay, your temperature is 104 degrees, very high. Blood pressure is elevated, along with respiration.” He looked up at the full-body scan results. “It appears that there’s some swelling around your brain. It could be an infection.”

Paul found it comforting to hear the doctor saying things out loud. He didn’t feel ignored.

“Can you tell me any other symptoms you have? Nausea is definitely on the list. Any pain?” Doctor Culber set his PADD down on the bedside table.

“Headache. Neck,” Paul whispered. “Hurts.”

It was getting harder and harder to concentrate. His vision blurred slightly. Paul blinked several times, but it didn’t clear. He shivered. A light blanket appeared and Paul grabbed it. He pulled it up to his chin, trying to snuggle into the thin fabric. The blanket didn’t help.

“I know it isn’t helping. I have to lower your fever. I turned on the cooling feature on the biobed,” Dr. Culber responded. “You looked like you needed something to snuggle.”

Paul hadn’t even realized he’d said aloud that the blanket didn’t help. Under normal circumstances, Paul would’ve blushed at the man thinking he needed something to snuggle. But not right now. God, he felt so awful. His stomach rolled again and he feared he might throw up on the cute doctor again.

“May I touch your neck?” Doctor Culber asked with a small smile on his face.

Paul took a good look at him. There wasn’t any malice or distrust in the man’s eyes. He nodded, almost imperceptibly. Culber gently placed his hands on the sides of Paul’s neck. His warm fingertips brushed his skin, causing him to shiver again. It felt nice, but at the same time, it didn’t. He was so confused. Paul flinched when Culber tried to make him turn his neck a little.

“Sorry,” he apologized, removing his hands. “Well, I don’t like the look of your stats. I have my suspicions, but I need a blood sample.”

Paul scrunched his eyes closed. “No needles.”

“Paul, he just needs a blood sample,” Straal started to say.

The doctor shook his head as if to say he had it. Doctor Culber gently freed Paul’s arm from the blanket. He ran his thumb up and down the inside of Paul’s forearm. It felt nice. He applied some pressure, rubbing small circles, but not much. The doctor grabbed something with his other hand, but Paul ignored it. He liked the touch. He bit his lip to keep from moaning. That would’ve been incredibly inappropriate.

“I looked for you after the kissing booth. I’m sorry I left so quickly.”

His words stunned Paul. What? A part of him feared that that the kiss hadn’t had the same effect on the other man as it had on him. Paul looked into his eyes and gave him a soft smile. This was not the time to daydream about his doctor, but he wanted to rub his hand against his facial hair. He vaguely felt a pinch on his arm, but he didn’t look. Dr. Culber adjusted the blanket, covering Paul’s shoulder back up and letting his hand linger for a few seconds longer than necessary. Doctor Culber looked down at Paul’s arm. He rubbed his fingers across Paul’s arm one more time and held up a small vial of blood.

“I’m all done.”

“Impressive,” Straal hissed.

Paul frowned. “Really?”

“Yep.” Culber walked over to a small chamber in the wall and inserted the vial. He sent it directly to the lab. He opened a drawer in the cabinet beside the biobed and pulled out a pair of medical scrubs. “You have some… vomit on your clothes. How about we get you changed while we wait for the results?” He turned his head in Straal’s attention. “Would you feel comfortable helping me?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Paul hung his head. Now this was embarrassing. He opened his mouth to say he could dress himself, but the words stuck in his throat. Yeah, he’d had a hard enough time getting dressed that morning. He mumbled something about not cutting his clothes off, which caused Dr. Culber to smile. Straal helped pull off Paul’s jacket and his cadet shirt. Underneath, Paul wore a soft blue t-shirt. Maybe they could leave that on? He didn’t want Culber to see him without a shirt. He wanted to ask the man on a date before showing him his soft belly. It wasn’t exactly his favorite part of his body.

“Now’s not the time,” Straal laughed.

Oh god, why was he saying these things out loud?

“You have a high fever and you’re pretty sick.” Dr. Culber answered this time.

“Sorry,” Paul whispered.

“I don’t mind.”

Culber put his hands on Paul’s hips, ready to help remove his pants. Paul tried to squirm away. Straal steadied him as he almost took a dive off the bed.

“Where are you going?” Straal asked. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before. Or the doctor hasn’t seen before.”

Paul’s face turned beet red. He didn’t exactly want to be reminded of the night Straal dragged him to a party where he drank too much and played strip poker with a bunch of girls. Straal had to help him put his clothes back on when he lost because he was way too drunk. It hadn’t even been fun. Well, better not to delay the inevitable. He lay still as they lifted his hips and slid his pants down over his boxers.

Straal laughed. “Do you have the planet Pluto making a winky face on your boxers?”

“Shut up,” Paul groaned, covering his face with his hands.

In one smooth movement, they removed his pants. Goosebumps formed on his legs from the chilly air. He shuddered and tried to curl up. He missed the blanket. Paul straightened back out and sighed. Doctor Culber pulled up the drawstring pants and quickly asked for him to lift his bottom. Paul obliged. Culber tied the drawstring, leaving them comfortably loose. Straal’s PADD beeped and he stepped away from the bed to check it.

“Thanks,” Paul whispered. He still couldn’t look at the doctor.

“I have the ones with the sun wearing sunglasses,” Culber whispered, soft enough that Straal couldn’t hear.

“Really?”

“Really. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Dr. Culber squeezed his shoulder. “Can you sit up a little so we can slide the shirt on?”

Paul nodded, but quickly regretted the movement of his neck. He pushed up with his arms, feeling them shake. The doctor helped him slip into the matching grey shirt. It only took a moment and he helped him lie back. Paul curled up in a ball on the biobed and closed his eyes. He was so tired, but everything hurt. He couldn’t relax.

“I can give you a mild pain reliever, but I’m afraid it won’t help much. It might make you able to rest,” Dr. Culber said.

“Anything would help.”

The doctor stepped away and Straal came back to the bed.

“Professor Hernandez was concerned that neither of us showed up to his lab. He sends his regards and hopes you feel better soon.” Straal tapped his knuckles on the side of the bed. “He also said he’d check on the kids for us and make sure the equipment readings are correct.”

“That was… nice of him.”

“Well, when you get sick, you get sick.” Straal shook his head.

Dr. Culber returned with a hypospray. He gently administered it into Paul’s neck, being careful not to cause him more pain. “That should help a little. I need to go check the blood test and another patient. I’ll be back in a little while. Rest.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Straal said, answering for Paul, who’d relaxed against the pillow.

As soon as the doctor left, Straal grinned at him. “He’s even more handsome in his uniform,” he teased.

“Shut up.”

“Okay, but when you’re feeling better, I’m so teasing you about this.”

Paul closed his eyes. He didn’t want to worry about it. Right now, he just wanted to sleep a little.

 

*~*~*

 

The lights were a little bit dimmer when Paul stirred at the sound of the door opening. His head pounded as he focused on Doctor Culber. The smile was gone from his face, replaced with a more serious look.

Straal stood up from the chair beside the bed. “Doctor, do you have the results?” he asked.

“We have preliminary results from the blood test. Unfortunately, you need an additional test to confirm. And that test will be taking place at Starfleet Medical. Your case is being transferred to the Academy Hospital.” Doctor Culber stepped closer to the bed, keeping his eyes on Paul. “I believe you have bacterial meningitis. They will be starting you on a broad spectrum antibiotic until they can determine the correct strain.”

“No,” Paul said firmly. “No hospital.”

“Dude, that’s pretty serious,” Straal started to say.

“No,” Paul interrupted. “I’m not going to a hospital.” He felt his anxiety rising as he realized what was happening.

_Sick._

_Very sick._

_They wanted to put him in a hospital room with strange doctors and medications and tests and people treating him as if he were nothing._

“Slow down. Paul. I need you to focus on breathing.” Doctor Culber’s voice broke through the haze of panic in his mind. He tried to focus on Culber’s words as he breathed loudly, using his hand and moving it up and down. “Good. Just keep breathing.”

“I wanna go home.” Paul pushed up to sitting. He swung his legs over the side of the bed.

Both men rushed to his side, preventing his escape.

“You can’t go home,” Doctor Culber said calmly. “You need to be treated first.”

“I’ll feel better at home.” It was a weak response; Paul knew it.

“I’m sorry, but you won’t. You’ll just get sicker and then your roommate, Justin, will have to call for a medical transport and you might not make it. I know you don’t want to do that to him or yourself.” The doctor paused as he waited for Paul to look at him. “You’ll be transported to Starfleet Medical in about ten minutes. Your roommate can’t come with you right now. They’ll need to admit you, do further testing, and get you settled. As soon as that’s done, he can come see you.”

“I promised I wouldn’t leave him.” Straal crossed his arms.

“It’s procedure.”

Paul pulled his arms across his chest and started to hyperventilate.

“Paul. I will stay with you. I’ll make sure that you are taken care of. I’m not going anywhere.” Doctor Culber stood up as his PADD beeped. “My shift is over. I’ll stay with you until Justin can be with you again. I won’t leave you alone.”

A lump formed in Paul’s throat. He fought to keep his emotions in check, but the whole situation was so stressful and he felt so terrible. He looked away from both men and stared at a spot on the blanket. Paul sniffled and nodded.

Everything happened very quickly after that. Straal was whisked away, sent to go retrieve anything that Paul might need from their place. He swore he’d be back with him as soon as he could. He asked if Paul wanted to call his parents, but he shook his head. He wasn’t dying. Doctor Culber talked to one of the nurses, giving strict instructions about something. Paul’s head pounded as he lay on the biobed, trying to stay calm. He didn’t want this to happen. All of the activity upset his stomach. Dr. Culber managed to grab a basin quick enough so Paul didn’t throw up on his shoes again. Once he finished, he slunk back down on the bed. Paul shivered and wished he could just fall asleep. Doctor Culber pulled the blanket back up and rubbed his shoulder to comfort him.

A nurse arrived, informing them that it was time. Starfleet Medical was ready for them. Paul held his breath as he waited for the transporter beam to pick him up. He transported to another biobed. The monitors went off as soon as he lay down. Paul looked around at the group of doctors and nurses. Where was Doctor Culber?

“Where…?” he started to say.

A doctor interrupted him, shouting something to a nurse about his temperature being at 104.2 degrees.

The loud noises hurt his head more. Paul covered his face with his hand as he took a shaky breath. A warm hand grabbed his.

“I’m right here.” Doctor Culber gently squeezed his hand.

Paul held tightly, not letting go. They started moving him down the hall, talking to each other about his stats and condition. He didn’t even know which one was the head doctor on his case. Great.

 

*~*~*

 

Paul stared at the ceiling in his room. His hospital room. After they’d preformed a deep neurological scan and ordered another blood test, an orderly had brought Paul to a room. They had settled him in the bed, after they made him change clothes. He’d sweat through his last pair of scrubs. He’d been given an antiemetic for the nausea/vomiting and an antipyretic for his fever. Doctor Culber sat in the chair beside his bed. Paul tried to turn over onto his side, but he couldn’t. It hurt his neck too much. The pain reliever he’d been given helped, but not much. Paul groaned softly.

“What’s wrong?” the doctor asked, sitting up and looking more alert.

“I want to lie on my side, but I can’t.”

Doctor Culber smiled. “Let me help you.” His gentle hands guided Paul, helping move him so he wouldn’t cause himself any more pain and to keep his neck straight.

“Thanks.”

Paul now faced the doctor. It was also easier to see if someone came into the room. He studied the other man for a long moment. He still wore his white medical jacket and the white shoes splattered with Paul’s vomit. Doctor Culber rubbed his forehead and covered a yawn with his hand. The man looked exhausted. He should be home right now, not spending time with a surly and miserable man he kissed once. He wanted to apologize for making him stay with him, but he didn’t want the man to leave him alone.

A skittish looking nurse entered with a medical tray. “Hello, Cadet Stamets. Doctor Lind will be in in a few minutes to perform the lumbar puncture. Is there anything else you need?”

“Lumbar puncture?” Paul’s voice shook. “You’re gonna stick a needle in my back? No. Nope. I’m done.”

He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He managed to stand up for a second before Doctor Culber put an arm around him to prevent him from collapsing and hurting himself.

“Paul. Please lay back down.”

“No! No one is sticking a need in my back. I want to check myself out of here.”

“Cadet, you can’t refuse,” the woman started to say.

Doctor Culber looked over at her. “Nurse, please leave. I’ll handle this. Inform Dr. Lind that his presence isn’t necessary.”

“Doctor –”

“Dismissed.”

Dr. Culber waited until the nurse left the room before addressing Paul. “I need you to lie back down. This procedure has to be done, but I can do it. I just need you to trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Paul swayed, feeling the blood in his face drain. “Okay. I trust you.”

Doctor Culber prepared for the procedure. He helped Paul lay with his knees pulled to his chest. He exposed Paul’s lower back and cleaned the area, activating a sterile field around the area. The whole time, he talked about what he was doing and what was going to happen. He gave Paul a local anesthetic to numb the area. They waited several long minutes for it to take effect. Paul focused on breathing in and out, not on the needle waiting to be inserted into his back.

“I’m almost ready.” Doctor Culber picked something from the tray that Paul couldn’t see. “So, why were you at the kissing booth when you clearly didn’t want to be?”

Paul took a shaky breath. “My roommate signed me up. I didn’t have a choice.”

“Inserting the needle. Just breathe normally.”

Paul winced at the pressure in his back. He desperately wanted to move. A strong hand rubbed his shoulder and relaxed him.

“I’d rather stay in with my kids,” Paul whispered.

“Kids?”

“Not real kids. I’m studying astro-mycology.” He felt the pressure change slightly, but he stayed still.

“Space mushrooms. I’m impressed.” There was a sound of something dropping onto the tray.

Paul wanted to move. He wanted to see what was happening and he wanted it to be over. Paul closed his eyes.

Doctor Culber rubbed his shoulder again. “I’m almost done. So, you think I’m a good kisser? You mentioned something earlier when your fever was high.”

Paul was grateful that the doctor couldn’t see his blush. No sense in lying now. “Yes.”

“I have to agree. When you’re feeling better, we can talk about it. Not yet.”

They stayed quiet as Doctor Culber finished. He removed the needle and used a dermal regenerator on Paul’s back to heal the small wound. He instructed the man to lie still. Dr. Culber paged the nurse to take the sample. Paul started to doze, completely exhausted from the long day and sleepless night. When Doctor Culber returned, he guided Paul onto his back and took his arm. He quickly spoke to him as he inserted an IV and began the broad spectrum antibiotic. Paul wanted to protest, but he didn’t have the energy. His eyes fluttered closed. The last thing he remembered was Doctor Culber promising to stay with him until he woke up and to rest easy.


	4. Not Really Better

Paul woke up, not knowing how much time had passed, to find someone pressing a cold cloth to his forehead and whispering softly. He couldn’t catch the words. Paul moaned, crying out at the stiffness in his body. He felt something in his hand, weird and underneath the skin. Paul reached for it. What was it and why didn’t he feel better? God, he hated hospitals. He grabbed the offending protrusion and tried to pull on it.

“Leave it,” a familiar voice said. “It’s an IV, delivering the medication to help you.”

An intravenous line, IV.  The words were hard to process at first. It took him several long moments to remember Doctor Culber inserted it into his hand before falling asleep. Paul reached for it again, not wanting the needle in his hand. A warm hand grasped his and held it steady. Paul tried to kick the blanket off, getting his toes tangled in the sheet. It was too warm in here.

“Shh, just give the medication a few minutes to start cooling you down. Your fever is quite high.”

Paul was vaguely aware of tears running down his hot cheeks. He just wanted to feel better. He didn’t want to feel like this. “I thought the… drugs were making me better?”

Doctor Culber’s voice answered again. Paul realized he’d kept his promise and he hadn’t let him alone, for which he was very grateful. “They are, but your fever is spiking higher than the meds can control at the moment. I raised the dose. You should start to feel better in a few minutes.” He tenderly pressed the cold cloth to Paul’s forehead again. This time he didn’t fight it. “This wasn’t how I imagined our second interaction going,” he said after a long pause.

“Me either.” Paul tried to roll to his side. He wanted to get up and relieve some of the pressure on his spine. Dr. Culber put a hand on him, impeding his movements. “Please, I don’t feel… good. I wanna go home.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” He rubbed Paul’s shoulder, getting him to relax again. “You’re really sick. This is the best place for you. I know it sucks, but I – we can take better care of you here. Promise.”

Paul whimpered, hating the sound he just made. His head pounded and he wanted it to be better. Another tear rolled down the side of his face and dripped onto the pillow. Paul tried to wrap his arms around his middle, but it pulled on the IV. He groaned. When was it going to get better?

“I know, I’m sorry.” The doctor’s voice was quiet.

Paul opened his eyes. Doctor Culber touched his cheek, rubbing away the tear with his thumb. It was… Maybe it wasn’t the most professional. But Doctor Culber wasn’t exactly his doctor at the moment since he’d been transferred to Starfleet Medical. There was something important he had to know first.

“What’s your first name? I’m tired of thinking of you as just Doctor Culber, the man who kisses really well.” Paul sighed.

“Hugh. You can call me Hugh.”

Paul grinned, but it quickly fell. He took a short breath and let it out. Then another. It wasn’t helping.

“You need to take deep breaths. You’ll hyperventilate that way.”

“I am… breathing.”

Hugh made a face, causing Paul to smile. He intentionally took a slow, deep breath and let it out.

“Much better. Now keep doing that.”

The distraction helped for a moment, but the pain returned with a vengeance. Damn, he felt so awful. He wanted to pull the pillow onto his face and scream. Paul grabbed a fistful of the blanket, and tensed up. He squeezed tightly. How was the medication not making him better yet? This was a modern medical facility. He shouldn’t even have gotten bacterial meningitis. There was a vaccine for it.

“Why didn’t you get the vaccine for it?” Hugh asked. It took Paul a moment to realize he must’ve been talking out loud. Stupid fever.

“Several childhood vaccines were rejected by my body… due to medication sensitivities. Most were okay, but I do remember not being able to get all of them.” He took a shaky breath and tried to focus on Hugh’s face.

“Did you get sick a lot as a kid?”

Paul shrugged one shoulder. “Kinda. I only ended up in the hospital twice with pneumonia and once with an awful infection. I did get a lot of colds and fevers.”

“Not fun. I get the impression from you that you didn’t like to be stuck at home sick.”

“Not really.” Paul shifted his weight on a bed, trying to get comfortable. He wanted to keep talking to Hugh and ask him everything. He wanted to know about Hugh’s life and the little things he loved to do. But he couldn’t focus on it right now. Paul grabbed his stomach, rolling to the side. Hugh gently guided the IV line so he didn’t pull it out.

“Hurts,” Paul cried.

“You should be feeling better soon.” Hugh rubbed Paul’s shoulder, attempting to soothe him.

It wasn’t helping. Paul shook his head and closed his eyes tight, fighting to ignore the pain. This wasn’t the same as the pain before. It was different, more insistent and in his stomach. Not his neck. Paul put out his hand, searching for Hugh to get his attention. He had to tell him. Hugh’s warm fingers connected with his, wrapping around his hand and giving him a gentle squeeze. He tried to focus on breathing in and out.

“ _Hugh_ ,” he whimpered. Paul hated that the first time he said his name, it came out like that. But he had to get his attention.

A low bio-alarm went off. The cold cloth returned to Paul’s forehead, but he didn’t want it there. It wasn’t helping. Paul tried to reach up, but found that Hugh was still holding his hand and he quickly gave up. The temperature in the room had risen to an uncomfortable level. Paul gasped.

“It should be helping,” Hugh murmured. “I can call your doctor to ask for a different dose if it gets worse.”

Paul shook his head again. “ _Hurts_.” He stressed the word, trying to get Hugh to realize what he was saying.

“What hurts?” Hugh asked, frowning. Paul didn’t want to see him frown. He wanted to see Hugh’s adorable smile.

Paul tried to say, but it only came out as a groan. He tried again. “Stomach.”

Hugh stood up, letting go of Paul’s hand. He immediately missed the contact. He gently rolled Paul onto his back, making sure not to hurt him. “Can I feel your abdomen?” he asked, looking quite serious. “Please. I’ll be gentle.”

Paul nodded.

Hugh pulled back the blanket and lifted Paul’s scrub shirt, exposing his pale and swollen stomach. He tenderly put his hands on his stomach and pressed his fingers down, moving around. Paul bit back a moan, but didn’t manage to stifle it. That hurt more. A louder alarm went off on the bio-bed as Hugh slammed his hand down on the call-button. Paul felt his pulse rising as he started to panic. What was happening? Hugh looked at him and his expression changed to a softer one.

“It’s gonna be okay. I suspect you’re having an allergic reaction to the antibiotic. Your fever is spiking again and there’s fluid in your abdomen.”

“I’m… dizzy.” Paul snatched Hugh’s hand in his. “I’m scared.”

“I’m right here. We’re gonna help you feel better. I’m sorry Paul.”

Black spots formed in his vision and he tried to stay conscious, but couldn’t. He held on tight to Hugh’s hand, but his muscle control started to slip away. The last thing he saw was Hugh’s warm eyes looking at him. His lips were moving, but Paul couldn’t hear what he was saying.

 

*~*~*

 

Paul slowly came to awareness. The first thing he felt was much less pain. His stomach didn’t hurt anymore and the pain in his neck was barely perceptible. He kept his eyes closed, listening to someone talking softly. His ears couldn’t pick up the words at first. But it wasn’t Hugh. He opened his eyes, seeing Straal sitting beside his bed, talking on his comm. At seeing Paul awake, he ended the call. He leaned closer to the bed.

“Hey, how’re you feeling?” Straal asked, setting his PADD on the blanket.

Paul tried to speak, but it came out as a croak. His cheeks turned pink at the sound. Straal grabbed the cup from his bedside table and let him take a small sip from the bendy straw. He pulled the cup back before Paul could get much more than enough to wet his mouth.

“Not too much. I don’t want you to get sick again.”

Paul’s eyebrows knitted together. Did he throw up on Hugh again? Was that why he wasn’t with him? He picked at the tape holding the IV line in his hand, but Straal stopped his movements. “What happened?” he whispered.

“You gave the doctors a good scare and me. I was on my way over when they called me in a panic. Your body had a severe allergic reaction to the antibiotics they were treating you with. They had to do surgery to keep your body from rejecting it and shutting down.” Straal pressed the nurse call button. “I made it in time to see you throw up all over yourself and Doctor Culber, and then have a seizure from the high fever. Doctor Culber was the only thing keeping you somewhat calm. You weren’t really coherent, but he held your hand. It was cute.”

“I feel… okay.”

Straal crossed his arms over his chest. “I bet you do. I’m pretty sure they have you on some of the good stuff. The doc said they have the infection under control now. You should continue to get better.”

“Home?” Paul wanted to sit up, so he could see the room better. But he couldn’t find the strength to move.

“Not for a few days. I called the nurse. She said the doc wanted to talk to you when you woke up.” He looked at the sad expression on Paul’s face. “Since I’m sure you want to know, Dr. Handsome went home to get cleaned up and some sleep. He said to tell you he’d be back later so you wouldn’t worry. Paul, he is seriously enamored by you. Not sure how, since you threw up on him twice. But he clearly likes you.”

Paul was saved from answering by the nurse coming in with a doctor. His pink cheeks faded as they talked about how sick he’d been. The doctor performed an examination on his abdomen and ordered another IV bag for hydration. He promised Paul could try eating something in a little bit. They both assured him that he was getting better and to relax. His blood pressure had been fluctuating quite a bit and they wanted him to relax so they didn’t have to add another medication to his already compromised system. He’d hopefully be discharged in a few days, depending on how he felt and how he was healing. Paul wanted to go home right away, but he knew it wasn’t a choice. The doctor excused himself to check on another patient and said he’d be back later.

The door opened again. Paul smiled weakly at Hugh, desperately wishing he could sit up more but he wasn’t sure if that would cause him pain and he was enjoying being pain free. Hugh held a small bouquet of Peruvian lilies and larkspur in his arms, wrapped with a blue bow and in a small vase. They were pretty.

“Hey,” Hugh murmured.

“I’ll be back in a little bit. I’m gonna get something to eat,” Straal said, touching Paul’s arm before slipping out of the room. “Want me to bring you something?” He said something quietly to Hugh as he passed him, causing him to smile.

Hugh shook his head and walked closer to the bed.

“Hey,” Paul said softly. “I’m sorry. I heard I threw up on you again.”

“It comes with the job. I’m not gonna run away because you threw up on me twice. Promise.” Hugh sat down in Straal’s vacated chair. He used the controls of the bed to help Paul sit up a little higher, seeing how Paul kept lifting his head off his pillow. “How’re you feeling?”

“Good. Straal says I’m on the good drugs.”

Hugh laughed. “Oh you definitely are. You earned them with your last display and the surgery they did. Your body reacted to the antibiotics and your spleen was inflamed, unable to create any more white blood cells to help you fight the infection. In the old times, they used to remove the spleen. But your doctor was able to heal it, which helps your immune health in the long run. You’d be much worse off without your spleen. They have you on strong painkillers. Hopefully they will wean you off in a day or so. Did the doctor talk to you?”

Paul nodded. He liked Hugh’s explanation better. It made more sense and he liked listening to Hugh talk to him. It was soothing.

“Good. I’m sure he explained everything. If there’s anything you don’t understand, know that you can ask me anything.”

He blushed. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Hugh held out the flowers. “These are for you. I hope it’s okay.”

Even the tips of Paul’s ears and his neck turned red. He loved the flowers. It was incredibly sweet. He gently took them from Hugh and sniffed them. They were perfect. He tried to hid his grin in the flowers and ignore the butterflies in his stomach. The gift was romantic and sweet. He tried to lift them onto the table, but almost dropped them. Hugh guided his hand over and gently set them down.

“Thank you. Really.”

“You’re welcome.” Hugh smiled at him, resting one elbow on the edge of the bed. “Do you need anything?”

Paul shook his head. He just wanted Hugh to stay with him again. It made him feel so much better and safer. “Do you have to leave again?”

“I have today off. I can stay for a while longer. If you want.”

“I’d like that,” Paul answered quickly. Oops. His face grew hot again as he stared as a snag in the blanket. Paul tried to stifle a yawn, letting his head relax against the pillow. He closed his eyes, but quickly opened them. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. You need the rest to feel better. I’m not leaving.”

Paul nodded.

“Okay. How about, after you get discharged from the hospital, we go on a date? I’d like to take you out for dinner.”

He looked at Hugh, noting the little wrinkles in the right corner of his mouth, almost resembling a small dimple. Paul liked the way that he leaned on his hand as he talked to him. His eyes went down a little further. Hugh’s dark blue t-shirt was tight, showing the outline of Hugh’s muscles. He wanted to get to know more about Hugh. Paul looked back up at him and nodded.

“I’d really like that.”

Hugh laughed. “Then it’s a date.”


	5. Almost

Paul caught himself staring at his flowers again and tried to wipe the grin off his face. He covered his face with one hand, and lifted it up again, giving the IV in his hand a dirty look. He wanted it gone. Paul started picking at the edges of the tape. It was starting to roll up a little bit. He sighed and put his hand down. Hugh wouldn’t be pleased if he pulled it off; not that he needed to please him, but he really did care what he thought. Paul picked up his PADD and looked at his results from the latest batch of scans that Straal had sent him on their kiddos. He didn’t want to look right now. He dropped it to the bed and crossed his arms. The IV line pulled. He reached for the tape again and groaned as he stopped himself from picking it.

Three days.

He’d been stuck at Starfleet Medical for three days. And Paul was more than ready to leave, but he hadn’t gotten released by his doctor, Dr. Rinehart, a snotty man with an awful bedside manner and the constant smell of cooked broccoli following him everywhere. Yuk. Hugh was at work, but he’d sent Paul a message to be kind to his nurses. He’d thrown a bit of a fit when they tried to make him eat the day before and he claimed he wasn’t hungry. Straal visited as much as he could, but he had to do Paul’s part of their research while he was incapacitated and still attend all his classes. Paul wasn’t worried; he was already three weeks ahead on his class assignments. He’d spent too much time alone and wanted to leave. They had weaned him off the pain medication and still needed to put him on an oral antibiotic for home, but he had to be getting close. He felt better, though he was frustrated.

“Cadet Stamets?”

Paul glanced over at the door, seeing his doctor, Dr. Rinehart with one of the nurses beside him. “What?” he muttered, unable to remove the irritation from his voice.

“How are you feeling?” Doctor Rinehart asked, moving closer to the bed. He sanitized his hands and pushed up his sleeves slightly.

“Fine.” Paul crossed his arms over his chest.

The doctor’s expression wavered slightly, but he managed to keep his mask in place. “Okay. What’s your pain level today? Have you had any pain in your neck or abdomen?”

Paul heard Hugh’s voice in his head, telling him not to lie about his physical health. “It’s a four. My neck is much better, but… my stomach hurts a little. And I’m a bit stiff.”

“That’s to be expected.” The doctor pulled back Paul’s blanket and gently palpated his abdomen. He lifted Paul’s shirt and repeated the motion.

Paul hissed when he pressed on a tender spot. Couldn’t the man at least ask to be able to touch him? He rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to shove the man’s hands away.

“Sorry.” Dr. Rinehart removed his hands and cleaned them again. “Your healing is right on track. Hopefully, we can switch you to oral antibiotics this afternoon and if your body tolerates them, we can discharge you tomorrow morning. I would like you to get up and take a walk this afternoon, at least twice.”

“Fine.” Paul nodded.

Dr. Rinehart smiled, but it was forced. “Okay. Nurse Sera will bring you the antibiotics with your lunch.”

“Thanks,” he murmured. “Can I get rid of this IV now?”

“Later today.”

Not the answer he wanted. Paul watched as the two left him alone again. He dropped his head back against the pillow. One more day and he could go home. He’d keep down those antibiotics if he had to, even though he still felt a bit nauseous when he ate. It’d be fine.

The rest of the morning dragged on. Paul tried to nap, but his body wasn’t tired anymore. His mind was too active. He chatted with Straal for a little bit, letting him know he was going to be released in the morning, pending nothing else going wrong. Straal expressed his excitement by promising Paul’s favorite food and to refresh his bedding so it wasn’t sickly. It was nice. Paul messaged Hugh to let him know the good news, but was disappointed when Hugh didn’t get back to him right away. He pushed away his disappointment. They weren’t dating. He wasn’t obligated to respond.

After choking down half of his disgusting lunch, Paul laid still as the antibiotic sat heavily in his stomach. He wasn’t going to throw up. He wanted to go home. He glanced at the offending object in his hand again. It couldn’t be that hard to pull it out by himself. He was a scientist. He’d be careful.

“Stop picking at it.” Hugh’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Paul’s face lit up at the sight of him, still dressed in his work clothing. He set down his damp coat. It must’ve been raining outside again. Paul hadn’t noticed. He blushed and looked down. Hugh sat down in the chair next to the bed.

“I’m not a child.” Paul crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

Hugh smiled at him. “Then don’t act like one.”

“It would help if the doctor didn’t treat me like one.” Paul opened his mouth to explain, but quickly closed his mouth.

Hugh put his hand on Paul’s arm and gave him a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry. Dr. Rinehart is a good doctor, but he isn’t the most personable.”

“You could say that again.” He sighed. “Sorry. I’m grumpy.”

“I overhead the nurse say that if you can keep down the antibiotic and go for a walk, proving you can move on your own, then they will discharge you tomorrow. That’s great news.” Hugh removed his hand.

Paul immediately felt sad at the loss of contact on his arm. Part of his mind said that he was only doing it because he was a doctor; once Paul went home, it wouldn’t be that way. Hugh would realize that Paul was always surly. But he wanted to savor the sweet moments of being taken care of. “Yeah, I guess.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, save the sound of Paul’s soft heartbeat on the monitor.

“I’m sorry.” Hugh paused, giving Paul a warm smile. “How’re you feeling today?”

“Sore. Ready to go home.”

Hugh stood up. “Okay, let’s work on that.”

Was he leaving? Paul frowned, not understanding what he wanted.

“Let’s go for a walk.” Hugh offered his hand to Paul. When Paul hesitated, he said, “I won’t let you fall.”

Paul bit back a little groan as he sat up and turned. He hoped this would be a bit easier, but his muscles seemed to forget how to move without being stiff. He put his legs over the side of the bed. His toes touched the cold floor. Pulling back, he wished he had socks. Hugh seemed to know without him saying. He knelt in front of Paul and put two hospital slippers on his feet. The nurse must’ve put them there when he was napping earlier. Okay. That wasn’t too bad. Paul already wanted to lie back down. But he had to prove he could go home. Hugh put out his hands, palms up. Paul put his arms on top of Hugh’s, letting him steady him by holding onto his forearms. He took a deep breath and stood. His knees immediately turned to goo. Paul almost fell, but Hugh supported his weight until he regained his balance.

“Sorry,” Paul muttered.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. I’m here for support.”

“You don’t have to be.”

Hugh smiled, picking up on what Paul was saying. “I want to be here for you.”

Paul blushed. “Thank you.”

He managed to get his balance. It took a lot of work to convince his stiff muscles to work. Hugh guided the IV pole, so Paul didn’t have to worry about it. He kept a tight grip on one of Hugh’s strong arms. It felt like his legs were jelly. After a few feet, his stomach began to hurt again and he trembled slightly. Hugh squeezed his arm. It gave him the strength to make it the rest of the way to the door. The room spun slightly and he didn’t feel that well. But Paul didn’t want to say anything to Hugh. They turned around at the door and walked back to the bed. Paul was already out of breath. He hated this. He groaned softly as Hugh helped him back onto the bed, pulling up the blanket to cover him. Paul shuddered and rolled onto his side.

Hugh rubbed his shoulder. “You did a good job, Paul.”

“I barely made it to the door,” he huffed.

“You’ve been very sick for almost a week, including three days at the hospital. And you had surgery on your abdomen. It’s okay to not be recovered yet. You have time.”

Paul tried to stifle a yawn, but couldn’t. He had barely moved, how was he so tired? Hugh settled in the chair next to the bed, pulling out his PADD and opening up a book.

“What are you reading?” Paul said, snuggling into the blanket.

“It’s a medical journal… about sensitivities to vaccines and blood related issues, relating to certain medications.” Hugh avoided eye contact with Paul for a moment.

“It sounds interesting.” He yawned again. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. Get some sleep. We can go for another walk when you wake up.”

Paul meant to tell him that he liked that plan, but he fell asleep before he could.

 

*~*~*

 

Paul snuggled up in the corner of the sofa, pulling his blanket to his chest. He shivered and tried to become one with the couch. Straal brought him a cup of steamed milk with vanilla and carefully put the mug in his hand so he didn’t drop it. He’d been home from the hospital for one full day, but he’d slept most of the day. Straal hovered, making sure he was there if Paul needed anything. Paul would’ve normally found it to be annoying, but he needed the help. It was still hard to walk to the bathroom by himself.

“Are you hungry? I can make some toast or something else. You haven’t eaten anything today.” Straal sat down on the coffee table, watching his slow movements.

Paul sipped the warm milk and hummed at the taste. He warmed his hands on the mug, not wanting to put it down. “I’m not that hungry.”

Straal made a face. “Dr. Handsome isn’t going to be happy if you don’t eat anything.”

His comment made Paul frown. “Not if we don’t tell him.”

“He’s a doctor. He’ll know.” Straal headed back to the kitten. “I’ll made you some toast and some chicken noodle soup.”

He returned with a bowl and two pieces of toast. Straal took the mug from Paul’s hands and set it on the coffee table. He traded him for the soup bowl. Paul slowly raised the spoon to his mouth and began to eat. Straal stayed close by incase he dropped the bowl. A mushroom documentary played on the view screen in the background, but neither of them was actively watching it. It was one they could both quote in their sleep.

The door chimed softly.

“I’ll be right back. You keep eating.”

Straal went to the door and smiled at the camera view. He triggered the door to open. “Hey, Hugh. He’s on the couch.”

“Hey Justin. How’s he doing?” Hugh stepped inside and slipped off his shoes.

“Alight. Really tired. He’s eating right now, but he’s been too tired to eat most of the day.”

“That’s okay.”

Straal gestured to the couch, where Paul sat nibbling on his toast. Hugh walked over and sat down on the coffee table, smiling at Paul. Paul set the toast on his lap and reached for the mug. Hugh passed it to him with a smile.

“Hey. How’re you feeling, Paul?”

“I’m alright. Tired, but better. It’s good to be home.” He took a sip of the drink. “How was work?”

“Not nearly as exciting as other days. No one threw up on me today.”

“It definitely sounds like a boring day.” Paul rubbed his neck, almost dropping his mug.

“Neck bothering you?”

“A little.”

Hugh rested his hands on his legs. “I actually have an idea. Would you like a massage?”

“Oh.” Paul’s cheeks turned bright red. “You could at least take me to dinner first,” he muttered.

“Not like that.” Hugh playfully smacked his leg. “A massage of your shoulders to help get some tension out of your neck, is that okay?”

Paul nodded. He scooted forward on the couch, so Hugh could sit behind him. He pushed aside his blanket, not feeling cold anymore. He wished his skin wasn’t so sensitive when he blushed or got too warm. Hugh sat directly behind him, with one leg tucked under him and the other brushing Paul’s leg. Hugh gently placed his hands on Paul’s shoulders and started to gently massage his shoulders, applying the perfect amount of pressure. Paul melted beneath his touch. It felt so nice. He bit his lip to keep from moaning. He felt each one of his muscles relax and the pain dissipated.

Hugh’s warm breath tickled the back of his neck. “Is this okay?”

“Yes,” Paul moaned. He snapped his mouth shut. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He paused. “Do you think you’ll feel better by next weekend? I’d really like to take you on that date.”

Paul turned so he could see Hugh’s face. “Yes. I’m ready.”

“Then Saturday night. It’s our first date.”


	6. First Date

Paul rubbed his face and took another sip of coffee. He sighed, staring at the results on his PADD. He needed another six hours of lab work, but he didn’t have the time today. He’d gone back home to get changed for his date, but he had yet to get ready. Today was the first day he actually felt well enough to go to the lab. The lingering exhaustion stayed longer than Paul wanted, but Hugh assured him it was his body focusing on healing.

Only one hour, twelve minutes until Hugh arrived for their date.

Paul took another sip of coffee, feeling his anxiety rising.

The door to their apartment opened and Straal walked in, carrying a box with food bags in it. “Hey,” he greeted, setting the box down on the counter. “Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for your big date with Dr. Handsome?”

“I have plenty of time…” Paul looked down at his PADD.

Straal made a face. “You need to shower and pick out your outfit to wear on your date. You should have started getting ready two hours ago.”

“Ha ha,” Paul dead-panned. “Fine. I’ll get ready.”

Straal poured himself a cup of tea and lifted his mug. “I’ll be here if you need someone to ask about shirts.”

“Shut up.” Paul muttered.

After he showered, Paul stood in front of his closet, staring at his shirts. Great. What was he supposed to wear on a date with the most handsome man he’d ever met, a man who had already seen him shirtless and honestly… he’d seen him throw up and at his most vulnerable, feeling miserable and sick. They’d already crossed a few lines and not even had dinner together. Well, they did eat lunch together on his last day before he left the hospital and Hugh had brought him dinner twice. Okay, they were casually dating. This was their first official romantic date. Shit. Paul sat down on the bed in his dress pants. He crossed his arms over his chest, pulling them tight.

A soft chime at the door distracted him.

“What?” Paul whispered.

“Can I come in for a sec?” Straal asked.

Paul nodded before realizing he couldn’t see him. “Fine.”

Straal stood in the doorway, watching him for a moment.

“Take a holo, it lasts longer,” Paul grumbled.

“He likes you. A lot. Don’t overthink it.” Straal walked over to his closet and pulled out a light blue button down shirt. He tossed it to Paul. “This color makes your eyes pop. It’ll drive Dr. Handsome crazy. You’ve earned a fun night, so try to relax.” He put a hand on Paul’s shoulder and gave him a soft squeeze. “Really, Paul. Enjoy yourself on your date.”

“Thanks Justin.”

Straal left him alone to finish getting dressed. Paul slipped on an undershirt before putting on the blue button down. It was a good color. He messed with his hair until it was perfect and checked the time. Hugh would be arriving in a few minutes. Paul slipped on his dress shoes and emerged from his room, seeing Straal sitting on the couch and working on several PADDs at once. He looked over as Paul entered.

“Very handsome. I think Hugh is going to like you.”

The door beeped. Paul felt his stomach drop. Shit. He was gonna throw up again. He tried to focus on breathing in and out calmly. He wasn’t going to freak out in front of Hugh again.

Straal answered the door. “Hey Doc. Come on in. Paul is ready for you.”

Hugh stepped into their apartment. Paul’s jaw dropped open, but he quickly snapped it shut. His handsome doctor wore tight dark blue dress pants and a fitted white button down shirt. It lay nicely on his firm muscles, making him even more pleasing to the eye. In one hand, he held a small bouquet of gerbera daisies. Hugh moved closer to Paul.

“Hello,” he murmured. “You look very nice. These are for you.” Hugh held out the flowers. “You wore this color the first day we met.”

Paul took the flowers; his fingers brushed Hugh’s and he blushed. “Yeah. Thank you. You – you look hot, err… you clean up really well.”

Hugh laughed and the sound made Paul feel warm all over. “Thanks. Are you ready?” He put out his hand. The slight movement sent a waft of Hugh’s cologne in Paul’s direction, which smelt amazing.

Straal slipped the flowers from Paul. “I’ll put them in a vase for you. Have fun kids.”

Paul hesitated for a second before taking Hugh’s hand in his. His skin felt warm and soft. Paul immediately worried that his own hand was sweaty and gross. Hugh gave him a gentle squeeze. Neither of them spoke much as they left the building and stepped out into the cool evening air. It wasn’t too cold, but Paul wondered if he should’ve brought a jacket. It took him a moment to realize that Hugh was carrying two suit jackets, one of them being his. Hugh noticed his gaze.

“Straal. You were distracted, so he handed it to me.” Hugh’s smile fell a little. “Now, I don’t want to keep asking, so you tell me if you get tired. How’re you feeling?”

“Good. This is the first day I haven’t felt exhausted since I left the hospital. And I’m hungry.”

Hugh laughed. “Okay, let’s go get some dinner.”

They took a transport car to the restaurant. Paul kept his hand in Hugh’s, enjoying the physical contact. It still amazed him that Hugh found him attractive, but he liked it. Hugh spoke softly about his day, asking Paul how his mushrooms were progressing. It was relaxing. Hugh gently rubbed his thumb along Paul’s hand. Bliss.

“You okay?” Hugh whispered, staring at their clasped hands.

“I’m more than okay.”

They arrived at the restaurant and went inside. It was the top floor of a building downtown. The restaurant was lit with a soft glow of candlelight and muted light. The roof was clear, so the diners could see the night sky, along with the beautiful view of the lights of the city from the wide horizontal windows spanning each side of the restaurant. There was enough greenery to make it feel like they were actually outdoors without the cool air. A hostess showed them to a corner booth and seated them, taking their jackets to hang up. Hugh gestured for Paul to sit down first. Paul sat down on one side and Hugh sat across from him. Paul tried not to let the disappointment show on his face. He didn’t know why, but he wanted Hugh to sit next to him. It was more… intimate. But it was their first date.

A waiter came over and Hugh ordered wine for the table. Paul nodded, suddenly having trouble finding words. He observed Hugh as he ever so lightly chewed on the corner of his bottom lip as he perused the menu. Paul picked up his menu to hide his red face and to distract himself by figuring out what he wanted to eat. Everything sounded delicious, though there was a lot he didn’t know what it was.

The waiter returned with a bottle of white wine and poured each of them a glass. He said something to Hugh, but Paul quickly realized it wasn’t in Standard. Hugh smiled and answered him in the same language.

“What language was that?” Paul asked, picking up his glass after the man left.

“French. My mom insisted we all knew more than one language, so I learned three. I’m trilingual. I speak Standard, French, and Spanish. I learned all of them at once, so my younger years were hard. I’d start a sentence in French and finish in Spanish, with a few words in Standard in between. Eventually I figured it out.”

“Impressive.” Paul took a sip of the wine and almost moaned in delight. It was delicious. A rich taste, with a hint of sweetness. He hated bitter wine.

“Thank you.” Hugh sipped from his glass of wine. Paul watched as his lips barely brushed the glass. “Do you speak any other languages?” Hugh asked, setting his cup down.

“Mushrooms.”

Paul blushed as Hugh laughed. That was a stupid thing to say. He kept his eyes down on his menu.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh at you. I’m sure that working with mushrooms is a language of its own, due to your work with astromycology, which is different from standard mycology.”

“There are – similarities between the two, but there are also vast differences due to the relative space and atmosphere the mushrooms are grown in, which varies based on different planets too. There are several planets which have very few, but rare and exotic mushrooms that give an insight into astroomycology and –” Paul stopped himself. “Sorry. You probably don’t care that much about fungi.”

“Hey, I’m a fun guy.” Hugh’s eyes lit up as he smiled at his own pun.

Paul barely resisted rolling his eyes at the pun. “Terrible. Absolutely terrible.”

“Admit it. You did think it was amusing for a second.”

The waiter returned to take their order, interrupting their conversation. Paul quickly made a decision, not hearing what Hugh ordered. He picked something with roasted tomatoes and mushrooms, and a meat he couldn’t pronounce well with a pomegranate-citrus glaze. It could be good.

“What sparked your interest in astromycology?” Hugh asked, pulling apart some of the bread on the table and spreading on the sweet cream spread.

“I ate a poison mushroom when I was six,” Paul said casually.

“On purpose?” Hugh’s mouth hung open for a moment, but he snapped it shut. The disapproving expression on his face remained.

“Not exactly. My older brother dared me to eat it, we didn’t know it was poisonous, and I… didn’t want to be a baby. So I tried it. I don’t remember much after that. We were playing outside and then I felt weird. I fainted. And I woke up in the hospital three days later.”

“Oh Paul.”

He shrugged. “My brother apologized. A lot. The doctor said I was pretty lucky that it didn’t kill me and that my mom rushed me in. After that, I found them to be interesting. My mom was a bit of an artist. She drew me this mural on my bedroom wall of a forest of mushrooms, glowing with a green glow-in-the-dark paint. It was cool.”

“Wow.”

Paul took some of the bread for himself, savoring a bite of the sweet food. “Why did you want to become a doctor?”

“Easy. I always loved helping people. I was the kid at school who would watch the school-medic with interest when another child fell and needed a cut healed. I’d hold their hand to comfort them. Then I’d ask the school-medic a ton of questions about the dermal-regenerator process and why it worked that way.” He paused to take another bite. “School was difficult for me at times, but I worked hard and I became a doctor. Starfleet was another easy choice. The stars have always fascinated me. This is the best way to me to explore the galaxies and to help others.”

“Same. Stars always fascinated me too.”

They ate quietly for a few minutes, sipping the wine and listening to the soft music. Paul asked if Hugh had any siblings, to which he answered he had two sisters. He laughed as Hugh regaled him with stories of growing up in a house of women.

The waiter returned with their meals, placing them on the table and inquiring it they needed anything else at the moment. Hugh thanked him.

“That looks… interesting.” Hugh commented about Paul’s food while laying his napkin on his lap.

Paul made a face, poking his meal with his fork. It did look interesting. Maybe it would taste better? The smell didn’t reassure him in any way. He speared a piece of the meat on his fork. As he raised it to his mouth, the smell increased. Oh. Paul tenderly chewed the bite. Nope. The meat had a salty, spicy taste with a stringy texture, which didn’t blend well with the pomegranate glaze. He forced himself to swallow the bite.

“How is it?” Hugh asked.

“It’s… fine.” Yeah, his lie wasn’t even believable to his own ears. Paul glanced at Hugh’s meal and smiled. “Is that macaroni and cheese? We came to a fancy restaurant and that’s what you order?” No judgement, but he was genuinely curious why Hugh would order that.

“They have the best macaroni and cheese. Sometimes the best meal is one that you can take comfort in and tastes amazing.” Hugh patted the booth next to him. “Come here. Sit beside me. You can have some of mine. I’ll share.”

“Oh, I don’t know –” Paul began.

“Really, it’s not a problem.”

Paul looked around; making sure no one was staring at them as Hugh scooted over on the bench. Paul sat down as softly as possible. He didn’t want to bug Hugh since he was already going to eat his food. Maybe he could just change his mind.

“I’m not that hungry,” Paul mumbled, laying his napkin on his leg.

“ _Paul_.” The soft tone of Hugh’s voice made Paul glance up at him. “It’s really okay. I want to share with you. I like you.”

“I like you too.” His words were almost inaudible.

Hugh gently placed his hand on Paul’s neck, rubbing it a little. Paul closed his eyes and sighed. Nothing bad happened. He admitted that he had feelings for Hugh and the world didn’t implode. Okay. It was okay. Hugh removed his hand and caught a few noodles with his fork. He gestured for Paul to open his mouth. Paul felt warmth on his neck and cheeks, but he opened his mouth. Immediately, Paul realized he’d picked the wrong meal. The macaroni and cheese had the perfect combination of bubbly cheese and crispy bread crumbs on top. Delicious. He let a soft moan slip out.

“Better?” Hugh said, grinning.

“Yes.”

“Good.” Hugh made a display of running his fork down the middle of the entrée, separating the two sides of the pasta. “Now you stay on your side of the plate. These noodles are mine.”

Paul smiled. Gosh, Hugh was adorable. “Okay.”

The rest of the meal went smoothly. Their conversation flowed. They both finished two glasses of wine and Paul felt more at ease. He wasn’t as anxious. This first date seemed to be going really well. Hugh couldn’t have been more of a gentleman; making him so comfortable with him. It was wonderful. The waiter returned to take away the dishes. Hugh spoke to him in French again, gesturing to Paul’s plate with an apologetic expression. He said something else, which caused the man to smile softly. He responded and disappeared.

“What did you say?” Paul asked, taking a drink of water.

“I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.” Hugh made an exaggerated wink.

Paul stuck out his lower lip, getting Hugh to laugh again.

“I’m still not going to tell you. You’ll find out soon enough.”

The waiter returned with their jackets and thanked them. He handed Hugh a box, tied with a string. Hugh thanked him. Paul wanted to know what was in the box. He hoped that Hugh didn’t save his leftovers of the mystery meat. Yuk. Hugh helped Paul slip his jacket on and he did the top button. He waited as Hugh put on his own. It wasn’t possible, but he looked even better with the dark blue jacket on. Paul glanced away, not wanting to be caught staring at him.

Hugh took his hand and they exited the restaurant. The temperature had dropped slightly, so Paul was glad he put his jacket on. It was comfortable. He wanted to ask where they were going next, but Hugh started to pull him away from the street and down the sidewalk.

They walked in silence, which Paul didn’t mind.

He could smell it before he could see it. The salty air of the bay. Paul’s eyes focused on soft lights on the beach as sand squished beneath his shoes. Candle lights. Several white candles surrounded a red blanket, spread out on the sand with a large blue blanket folded up on it. There was also a small picnic basket. Hugh released Paul’s hand and went to stand on the other side of the blanket.

“Is this okay?” he asked.

Paul smiled and nodded. “Yes. How did you arrange this?”

“I had a little help from Justin. He hinted you like listening to the water and I thought it might be romantic to have dessert on the beach.”

“Yes. I’d like that.”

Hugh sat down on the blanket and patted the space beside him. Paul hesitated, but only for a second. He plopped down next to Hugh, his arm brushing Hugh’s as he sat down. Hugh opened the picnic basket and pulled out two thermoses.

“What is it?” Paul asked.

“Hot chocolate. I didn’t think we needed any more alcohol for tonight. I don’t want you to get the wrong impression,” Hugh said in a teasing tone.

Paul gently bumped his arm. “Thanks.” He drank the warm liquid. Perfect. “Now, I’m dying of curiosity. What’s for dessert? I assume that it’s in the mystery box.”

“Yes.” Hugh slid the box over and popped the lid up. “Peppermint cheesecake. You mentioned one day at the hospital that you loved mint and you loved cheesecake. I thought you might like this. Is it alright?”

Paul was pretty sure his eyes looked like they had hearts in them. “Yummy,” he hummed, reaching for the box.

Playfully, Hugh moved it just out of his reach. “We have to share.”

“I’m okay with sharing.”

Paul took a fork from Hugh and they both quietly dug into dessert. Absolutely delicious. There was a little chocolate drizzled on top and actual peppermint candy chunks mixed into the cheesecake. Yum. Paul vaguely thought about not licking his fork at the end, but he did it anyway. Hugh smiled, copying him. Paul sipped his hot chocolate, feeling absolutely full and happy. This was comfortable. Normally, he sucked at first dates and didn’t go on many. But with Hugh… it was simple and sweet.

Hugh grabbed the extra blanket and covered their legs with it. He lay back, tucking his arms behind his head. Paul froze for a second. It was okay. He lay down beside Hugh, letting their arms touch.

“The first time I was watched the original moon landing, I was four. I told my mom I wanted to walk on other worlds and see all of them. She’d find me outside after bedtime, just staring up at the stars, all the time.”

“Same,” Paul mumbled. “I want to find new ways to travel through space, so I can see the stars and visit those other worlds.”

Silence filled the air as they stared at the beautiful clear night sky. The lights of a few planet-side transports would move across the stars, but then their brilliant sight would continue. Paul sighed. He needed this moment.

Hugh gently moved so he was lying on his side, resting his head on his elbow and looking down at Paul. “Ever since I came into the exam room, to find you looking sad and sick, I’ve wanted to kiss you to make it all better. Our first kiss… was incredible. But I think our second kiss might be even better.”

“We better find out,” Paul whispered.

Paul hoped Hugh didn’t notice how his breathing hitched as he touched him. Hugh leaned in slightly as Paul tried to calm his racing heart, but couldn’t. He kept his gaze locked on Paul’s. His fingers gently ran over Paul’s chest, causing goosebumps to form, and he rested his hand against Paul’s side. Hugh brought his face impossibly close to Paul’s without touching him. The anticipation was killing him. Paul shivered as Hugh’s warm breath danced across his neck. _Yes_. Paul turned his head so their cheeks were touching.

“Is this okay?” Hugh asked, his voice husky and low.

“Yes.” Paul ignored the whine in his voice. He needed Hugh to kiss him.

He moved slightly, letting his chest touch Paul’s. Heat exploded in every place they were touching and he couldn’t wait. Paul moved, capturing Hugh’s bottom lip and pulling it between his lips. Hugh smiled into the kiss, letting out a low hum of amusement. All other thoughts melted away. All Paul could think about was Hugh. Their hands roamed a little as they kissed. Paul slipped his hands under Hugh’s jacket, feeling his muscles as he flexed them. Yes. Such strong arms wrapping around him, it was what he needed. Hugh ran a hand through Paul’s hair, getting him to moan. He loved having his hair touched. It was very sensual for him.

Paul broke the kiss, taking a shaky breath. “Wow.”

“I was thinking the same.” Hugh rolled onto his back, his chest moving up and down in quick succession. The kiss had the same effect on him.

He thought about it for a brief second before he did it, but pushed the thought away. Paul snuggled up against Hugh’s side, resting his head on Hugh’s chest. Hugh wrapped his arm around him. He adjusted the blanket to cover him so he didn’t get a chill.

“Tell me more about you. What’s your favorite color? What’s your favorite book? Do you like to read? I mean – that’s an important thing and I’m sure you read medical journals, but do you read for pleasure and –” Paul rambled on.

“Only intergalactic romance novels,” Hugh interrupted.

Paul made a face.

“I’m kidding. That’s a lot of questions. Are you sure you have the time for those answers?” Hugh brushed his cheek with the back of his hand.

“Yes,” Paul blurted out. “I have all the time in the world. For you.” He realized how cheesy it sounded as soon as he said it, but he couldn’t exactly take it back.

Hugh kissed the top of his head. “Okay.”

Watching the stars and talking, they lay cuddling on the beach until sunrise. It was a perfect night.


	7. First Month-Anniversary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My mind has been a bit bogged-down with all of the Culmets angst, but I finally got in the right mind-set for this chapter. I hope that you like it! Sorry it isn't as long as the others.

Paul opened the door, bouncing up and down on his feet. Hugh smiled at him, a beautiful white flash of his teeth, even his eyes seemed to light up at the sight of him. Gosh, he wanted every morning to see Hugh’s face right away and to be able to touch him.

“Happy one-month anniversary,” Hugh greeted before leaning in to kiss him. His hand brushed Paul’s neck, causing him to shiver.

Paul pulled him closer, so his body was flush with Hugh’s. He put his arms around him and deepened the kiss. Every part of him felt like it was on fire. Gosh, he loved kissing Hugh. Hugh shifted slightly, pushing Paul back into the apartment so the door could close and they weren’t making out in the hallway. Someone clearing their throat caused them to break the kiss, but they kept their faces close to each other. Paul sighed, not wanting to go to class anymore.

“You guys should get a room,” Straal teased, grabbing his bag from the sofa.

“Already have one,” Paul retorted, not looking at his roommate.

“Morning Justin.” Hugh broke their embrace.

Paul immediately missed the contact and reached for Hugh’s hand, gently catching his fingers in his. Hugh squeezed his hand reassuringly. He loved that Hugh knew when he needed a little more physical contact and he comforted him. It was almost perfect. They playfully argued about Paul working in the lab too much, but mostly, the time they spent together was relaxing and romantic.

“I wish I didn’t have to work at the clinic tonight. I made some romantic plans for us.” Hugh ran his hand up Paul’s arm, gently brushing his fingertips against Paul’s flushed skin. “But tomorrow night is just as good.”

“I know. It does give me time to finish gathering the latest results of the spore growths.” Paul stuck out his lower lip.

“I know you’d rather be gathering data on which kisses cause the best results on my body,” Hugh murmured.

“I’m still here guys,” Straal said. “You two lovebirds have a good day. See you at the lab, Stamets.”

Lovebirds? They weren’t in love. Paul huffed, but kept his opinion to himself. He really cared for Hugh, but he couldn’t admit to himself that he loved him. Love was for children and those who didn’t know about science and the rest of the emotions out there. He cared deeply for Hugh, but he didn’t love him. Maybe? Hugh pressed another kiss to Paul’s lips and disrupted his thoughts. His hand ran down Paul’s back and cupped his butt. Paul wiggled at the movement. A soft moan escaped his mouth, almost breaking the kiss. Hugh laughed and moved so he could look at him.

“Paul, I –” The sound of his communicator cut him off. It was an insistent sound; an emergency call. Hugh frowned as he opened it and looked at the screen. “I have to go. Medical emergency at Starfleet Medical. All doctors have to report immediately.”

“That… sounds really serious.” Paul tried to keep the fear from his voice, but he knew he didn’t succeed when Hugh squeezed his shoulder.

“It could be. I’ll comm you as soon as I can.” Hugh kissed him briefly. “See you later, Paul.”

He watched Hugh disappear into the corridor and stood still for a moment. He’d see him later. It was probably fine. Paul grabbed his shoulder bag and headed to his first class of the day, noting that he still had time to stop at the coffee shop for breakfast; the breakfast he and Hugh were supposed to have. Maybe he could sneak and visit Hugh on his lunch break. Hugh would like that. Paul mentally made a note to check with Hugh on what time he’d get a break. A nice lunch would make up for missing breakfast together. Maybe they would even have brunch.

 

*~*~*

 

“Did you finish checking rows fourteen and fifteen?” Straal asked from the farthest side of their greenhouse.

“Yep, I’m checking sixteen. There seems to be some abnormal growths on a few of the mushrooms in his row.” Paul scanned the plant in question.

The results were off the chart, not what he’d been expecting. This must’ve been the area that had been contaminated. Professor Hernandez alerted them at noon about a potential contamination to their lab. There was a problem with the filtration system and their results were askew from the previous day. Paul had been in the middle of sending Hugh a message about brunch, but didn’t get a chance to send it. They’d spent the last two hours, checking individual plants and seeing which ones needed to be removed. Most of them seemed okay, but Paul had just come upon an entire area of destroyed specimens. He ran a hand through his hair. Damn. Months of work ruined. He impulsively reached down and grabbed one of the plants.

Paul cried out in pain, dropping it. His hand burned. Straal ran to his side and stabilized him as he about fell over. Pain. Intense burning pain. The greenhouse began to spin around him. Straal squeezed his arm.

“Fuck Paul. Don’t you dare pass out on me.”

“Fngth wols grh too.” Paul had tried to say that he fucking wasn’t going to, but it didn’t come out that way.

The next thing he remembered was cold against his skin. Icy cold running water, flushing the irritants from his skin. Paul blushed. He shouldn’t have touched it. They didn’t know what was causing the problem and Paul touched it. Professor Hernandez wasn’t going to be pleased with him. Paul blinked. He was in the bathroom connected to their small office with no memory of walking into the room. Shit. Straal knelt in front of him with the medkit in his hand. After a few minutes, he eased Paul’s hand out of the water. It didn’t hurt so much now. There was an angry red welt against his left palm. Straal administered a hypospray with a mild pain reliever and guided Paul to his desk.

“How does it feel?” Straal asked, moving his fingers slightly.

Paul hissed as Straal tried to bend his fingers in. “Hurts. But not as bad now.”

“The tricorder is reading it as a burn and recommends an analgesic burn cream and to wrap the wound up to keep it from getting infected.” Straal replicated a small container from the replicator and returned with a white bandage wrap. “I’d say we don’t touch those contaminated samples again without gloves.”

Paul rolled his eyes. “Yeah, probably. Professor Hernandez is gonna be pissed. We actually went five weeks without an accident in the lab, but that’s ruined now.”

“I doubt Dr. Handsome is going to be happy with you either,” Straal teased.

Paul remembered his partially complete message and reached for his PADD with his uninjured hand. He hissed as Straal applied the cream. It stung, but then turned cold and it actually felt better. Straal slathered it on and wrapped his hand in the bandage. Paul frowned. There was still no message from Hugh, which was unusual. He normally sent Paul little messages throughout his day. Paul pretended it annoyed him, but he secretly liked it.

“Weird,” Paul murmured.

“What? Dr. Handsome has some type of ESP and he already knows you hurt yourself?” Straal packed up the medkit, watching his expression.

“No. He hasn’t sent me any messages since this morning, asking if I wanted to have breakfast for our one-month anniversary.”

Straal frowned. “Now that’s a bit weird. He normally messages you quite a few times during the day.”

Paul’s face turned bright red. “How do you know that?”

“I’m not reading your messages. I swear. But when you get a message from Hugh, you get hearts in your eyes and have this dorky happy grin. It’s cute. Promise.”

Well. “Do not,” he protested, but it was weak.

Straal playfully hit his shoulder and got up off the floor. “You do, but it’s sweet. I like seeing you so happy and Hugh makes you very happy. I approve completely.”

Paul opened his mouth to make another remark, but his PADD beeped. Finally, a message from Hugh. His eyebrows knit together when he saw the name. It wasn’t from Hugh. The message was from Mareike, one of Hugh’s nurse friends, a bubbly girl who had a passion for alien disease control and wanted to work on starships. They’d had dinner with her and a group of other nurses/doctors last week. Paul liked her passion and ferocity. He knew he didn’t ever want to be on her bad side, though she was incredibly kind and patience, her temper made her fierce but still great. The message simply said for him to call her ASAP.

“ASAP. No one really talks like that anymore,” Paul mumbled. “Mareike wants me to call her right away.” His stomach flopped, reminding him that he’d not eaten since breakfast and that something didn’t feel right. Why hadn’t Hugh messaged him?

“You better call her.” Straal sat down at his desk, not turning away from him.

Paul pulled up her contact info and comm’d her. It was almost a full minute before Mareike responded. She looked exhausted; her curly blond hair was normally contained in a braid, but today it was gathered at her neck and looked frizzy. She gave Paul a weak smile.

“Hey Paul.”

“What’s going on?” Paul demanded before she could say anything else. “Where’s Hugh?”

Mareike brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “I don’t know if you know, but there was an emergency call-out for all nurses and doctors this morning.”

“Yeah, I was with Hugh when he received the comm.” Paul felt a little light-headed. He didn’t like where this conversation was going.

“I can’t give you a lot of details, but I can give you some. A starship came into orbit, reporting an outbreak of an alien flu on their ship. The ship’s doctor confirmed that he had it mostly contained to a few decks and the symptoms weren’t too severe, but most of the crew had been infected. Starfleet determined it wasn’t possible to treat them on their ship due to some needed repairs. They transported them to Quarantine. About two hours after the patients arrived, they started to get progressively worse. One of the patients broke free from quarantine while being treated. He exposed several of the medical staff.” She paused.

No. Paul shook his head. He knew before she said anything.

“I’m sorry, Paul. Hugh was one of the doctors exposed. He’s in quarantine at Starfleet Medical. A team of doctors are working on a cure for the disease, but they haven’t come up with anything yet. Hugh seems to be fine right now. He asked me to contact you.”

Everything felt a bit hazy and it took Paul a moment to realize he hadn’t said anything to her.

“I thought you couldn’t contact non-family members in emergencies like this?” Paul heard himself ask.

“Hugh listed you as his primary emergency contact two days ago.”

He felt sick. Paul leaned over, bracing himself on his knees. “Can I see him?”

Mareike nodded. “You won’t be able to touch him or get close due to the quarantine, but you can come see him. You’ll just have to give your name at the front desk when you arrive so they can escort you. I’m sorry, Paul. He wanted me to tell you that he feels okay right now, but he would like to see you.”

“Okay, I – I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“I’ll let him know that you’re on your way. Again, I’m sorry Paul.”

He shook his head. “Not your fault.”

“No, but Hugh shoved me out of the way when the patient lost control. He pushed me to the other side of the force-field, keeping me from being contaminated.”

Sounded exactly like something Hugh would do. Paul mumbled something to Mareike and closed the comm. Straal said something, but Paul didn’t hear him. He grabbed his bag and stood up from his desk.

“Hey, if you need anything, let me know. This fucking sucks Paul.”

“Thanks. I have to go.” Paul didn’t wait for Straal to say anything else before leaving the lab and going to catch the next train to Starfleet Medical to check on Hugh and make sure he was okay.

 

*~*~*

 

Paul wrung his hands anxiously as he waited in the entrance waiting room. A nurse had told him he had to wait to be escorted to Quarantine. It would only be a few minutes. How long ago had Hugh been exposed? What were the symptoms of this strange flu? Was he going to be okay? Nausea almost won as a doctor called out his name.

“Cadet Paul Stamets?” he repeated.

Paul jumped up and moved over to him. “Yes, how’s Hugh?”

“Just to verify, are you the emergency contact of Doctor Hugh Culber?”

“Yes. I’m his boyfriend.” The words felt strange coming out of his mouth in this circumstance. He needed to know how Hugh was doing. His mouth felt dry. He tried to ask, but nothing came out. Paul tried again. “How is he?”

“Doctor Culber isn’t displaying any symptoms. He’s been given IV fluids for the moment, but there’s not much else I can tell you right now. The initial exposure was three hours ago. His blood results came back positive with the virus. The virus has likely just started to attack his immune system.” The man said as they started to walk toward the lift.

Paul wanted to ask why it took so long for them to notify him that something had happened to Hugh, but he suspected they had a lot going on and weren’t focused on alerting emergency contacts. The doctor explained the quarantine process as they took a lift to the bottom floor of the hospital. It was bit cooler. Paul wished he’d grabbed his sweater off the back of his chair in his office. He lost track of how many turns they made. The doctor stopped talking to him after he realized Paul was too distracted to listen. Finally, they arrived at one of the quarantine rooms. Paul stood in the entrance, letting the medical scanner scan him to make sure he wasn’t carrying anything. The room had a locked door with an unfamiliar symbol and a large glass window that shimmered slightly. The window was set inside the room to give some privacy to the visitors. It had a protective force field over it to keep the contaminants out. Mareike appeared beside Paul, startling him. She normally moved with quick excited movements, but today she was almost meek and quiet.

Mareike touched his shoulder. “How’re you doing?” she asked in her sweet voice.

“Fine. How’s Hugh? The doctor didn’t say much. What symptoms are expected or were in the other patients from the ship? Is it deadly?”

She shook her head. “None of the patients have died. The symptoms vary slightly, but the initial symptom is a high fever and a headache. Joint pain and nausea, along with dizziness and a rash appear after that. Hugh is still in the initial stage. The scans indicated about twenty minutes ago that his body temperature was slightly elevated, but he says he feels okay.” Mareike glanced at Hugh’s vitals displayed by the oversized window. His temperature was up to 100.1. Not very high. “There are two separate teams working together, one on preventative inoculations and the other on a cure. I trust them.”

“Okay.” Paul wanted to move closer to the window and to see Hugh, but he was scared of what he’d see.

“I’ll let you visit with Hugh and I’ll check back in about an hour.” She quietly excused herself.

Paul moved closer to the window. He could see Hugh settled in a small hospital bed. It was an odd sight to see him dressed in patient scrubs. A blanket was draped across his legs. The muscles in his arms were visible as they were crossed over his chest. An IV stuck out of his right hand. He looked a little tired, but otherwise okay. Paul had been imagining him sweating and in pain. It wasn’t so bad, though his anxiety level didn’t change. As soon as Hugh saw him, he moved to the end of the bed so he was closer to him.

“ _Paul_.” His name hung on Hugh’s lips.

Paul fought to keep his emotions in check. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m just a little tired,” Hugh reassured. “I’m sorry Paul. This isn’t exactly how I wanted to celebrate our first month together.” He let out a laugh, but it quickly fell. “I wish I could give you a hug. You look like you need one.”

Paul dropped his bag into the chair. The strap caught on the bandage on his hand.

“What happened?” Hugh asked, using his concerned doctor’s tone of voice.

“Burn, but it’s alright. I’m more worried about you.”

Hugh made a face like he wanted to ask more questions, but he didn’t. He settled back against the pillow, adjusting his IV line. “I wanted to apologize about the emergency contact thing. I should’ve mentioned it to you before doing it and I wanted to tell you myself, but Mareike said I wasn’t allowed any outside contact and –”

“It’s okay,” Paul interrupted. “I don’t mind. I’m glad she called me.”

“I wanted to explain why I changed it to you,” Hugh whispered.

 _Paul already knew_. He swallowed around the lump in his throat and settled into the chair for the long wait to see if Hugh was going to be okay.


	8. First Love

Twelve hours in. Hugh’s forehead dripped sweat and he shivered beneath the blanket. Paul desperately wanted to touch him, to comfort him somehow, but he couldn’t cross into the quarantined area. The doctors had made a lot of progress with a cure and were close to being able to administer it, but not yet. Paul felt his stomach churn slightly as Hugh threw up into the basin beside his bed. He rinsed his mouth and lay back against the bed with a moan. It hurt to see Hugh like this. Paul wondered if this was how Hugh felt when he was taking care of Paul during his hospital stay with meningitis. He’d been up to talking for a long while, but he dozed lightly for the last hour until he became fairly uncomfortable as his fever and the nausea rose. The stiffness in his joints has been eased by some medication, but it didn’t take away all of the pain. Paul wanted to hug him and help him feel better.

“You really should… go home and sleep,” Hugh mumbled.

A nurse in quarantine gear removed the basin and checked something with his IV before leaving the room. She laid a cold pack on his forehead. He mumbled his thanks.

Hugh’s feverish eyes shone as he looked at Paul. “Paul?”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“Mareike said the cure should be available soon. You still won’t be able to get close to me for a while. With your… sensitivity to certain vaccines, I don’t want you to risk needing it.”

Paul resisted rolling his eyes. Straal was right when he said that Hugh was just as stubborn as him when he needed to be. “We have to stop meeting like this,” Paul joked.

Hugh smiled, but it was clearly forced and fell. “How’re you doing?”

“That’s my line.” Paul leaned forward, wincing slightly at his stiff back. He flexed his hand, the new skin pulling slightly. Mareike noticed it after bringing him coffee and she insisted on using a dermal regenerator on it. Paul looked up at Hugh. “I’m worried about you.” Gosh, it sounded a bit pathetic out-loud. Of course he was worried. He really cared about Hugh.

Hugh nodded as his eyes slipped closed. Exhaustion ebbed away what remaining strength he had. His breath came in soft, uneven huffs, not deeply like when he normally slept. Paul’s attention drifted as he watched Hugh, wishing he could at least hold his hand.

 

*~*~*

 

Hugh had just gotten off a seventeen-hour shift at the hospital. He still wore his white scrubs as he lay sprawled out on the couch with one hand tucked behind his head and his feet crossed at the ankles. Paul carried over the mug of tea and set it on the coffee table. He sat next to it, watching as Hugh slowly moved to pick up the mug. Paul snatched his hand before he could, gently kissing his fingers. A pleased moan came from Hugh’s mouth. Paul used his other hand to gently rub Hugh’s forearm, pushing up his sleeves a little and exposing more of his wrist. A small silver bracelet hung from his wrist.

“What’s this?” Paul asked, noticing it had a small engraved section but it was blank.

“It was a gift from my mother when I became a doctor. A ‘precious reminder of the encircling love that binds everyone together’ is what she called it. I haven’t decided what I want it to say yet.”

Paul’s fingers gently traced his wrist, brushing the bracelet and his skin in a smooth movement.

“She wants to meet you. Next week for dinner.”

He paused. “Really?” Paul felt his cheeks burn. There was nothing special about him that would make Hugh’s mother want to meet him. He’d never met a boyfriend’s mother before. Honestly, most of his relationships didn’t last long enough to meet family and he’d never been invested in them enough to care. Paul hadn’t dated in a long time before he met Hugh.

Hugh put a hand on Paul’s cheek, drawing him in closer. “I’ve told her only good things about you and she really wants to meet you. I promise she’ll love you just as you are.”

“I don’t know.”

“Paul, you’re amazing.”

Before Paul could protest, Hugh had his mouth on his. The urgency was different. Paul moved his hands to Hugh’s chest as he shifted to sit up more. Their tongues danced. He could feel Hugh’s heart beating quickly beneath his hands. Hugh put one hand on Paul’s back, sliding his fingers down until he cupped Paul’s butt in his hand. Paul giggled. What? He tried not to think about it, but he couldn’t help himself. Hugh broke the kiss and took a good look at his face.

Paul blushed. “Sorry.”

“What’s funny?” Hugh said, giving him an amused smile.

“Nothing.”

He blinked and refocused as Hugh kissed him again, drawing Paul’s lower lip into his mouth. It felt so… good and he felt warm all over. Paul found himself pushing up Hugh’s scrub shirt and touching his firm muscles as they tensed and rippled beneath his fingers. Yes. The movement brought out another moan from Hugh. He made more noises when he was really tired, Paul pondered. Hugh’s hand squeezed the inside of Paul’s thigh and started to run up the material. Paul made a quick movement and suddenly gasped. Hot tea spilled all down his pant leg. He’d forgotten about the mug of tea sitting on the coffee table. Paul started to laugh, softly at first until it became full giggles. He rolled onto the couch, putting himself on Hugh’s lap as he tried to catch his breath.

“Are – are you okay?” Hugh asked.

Paul nodded, gesturing at his wet pants. “’m fine! It didn’t burn me.”

“We better get those pants off,” Hugh said seductively.

Paul went into another round of laughter as Hugh tried to unbutton his pants for him. Hugh waited until he calmed down and relaxed against the back of the couch, catching his breath and smiling.

“It appears that I’m not the only one who’s really tired today.” Hugh ran a hand through Paul’s hair, smiling when Paul leaned into his touch. “We should get to bed. We can continue this in the morning. I’m exhausted.”

Paul smiled. “Okay. But you still have to help me out of these pants.” He put up his legs, motioning for Hugh to yank them off.

“Oh you.” Hugh stood up first and put out a hand for Paul.

Paul grasped it and stood up, almost falling over. Hugh steadied him and held him tight to his chest. He kissed Paul’s forehead before guiding him to Paul’s room and telling him to get cleaned up first. He lay down on the bed to wait.

Paul peed and brushed his teeth. He came back from the bedroom to find Hugh almost asleep on top of the blankets, dressed in only his boxers and a t-shirt. Paul sighed, watching him. He loved how Hugh breathed with his lips parted slightly and both of his hands were tucked beneath his head while he lay on his side. Paul placed himself beside Hugh. He gave him a soft kiss on his forehead. Paul snuggled up as close as he could get without touching Hugh. As if sensing he was there in his sleep, Hugh moved closer and put his head right next to Paul’s chest. Paul wished they could fall asleep like this every night, but he didn’t have time to process that thought. In the morning, Hugh’s hand on his butt and what followed pushed the thought from his mind for another time.

 

*~*~*

 

Paul jerked awake, at first feeling disoriented and not sure where he was. The memory felt like a dream. He stood up and immediately focused on Hugh. He lay in a more peaceful sleep and didn’t seem as uncomfortable. His clothing had been changed to a different color. Paul frowned. He reached for the call button to find out what was going on, but he stopped at the sight of Mareike approaching.

“Morning, Paul. Feeling better after some rest?” she teased.

“How’s Hugh?” He tapped his fingers on his leg as he waited the few seconds for her to answer.

“Much better. The doctors administered the cure three hours ago and have given inoculations to the staff. Hugh’s fever broke about thirty minutes ago and we changed his clothes. He was awake to drink a little and insist that you don’t receive the inoculation after looking over its composition. He said you’d react to it.”

“Can I see him?” Paul looked past her, noting that Hugh did look much better now.

“Not yet. It’ll be a few more hours. Since you can’t have the inoculation, the doctors will want to make sure his system is clear of the virus first and he isn’t contagious.” Mareike smiled. “Why don’t you go home, take a shower, get something to eat, and then come back? You might be able to see him then.”

Paul opened his mouth to protest, but she gave him a stern look. “Alright. Comm me if he wakes up or anything changes.” He stood up and shouldered his bag, feeling incredibly stiff from sleeping in the chair for the last few hours. A hot shower would relax his muscles. “Thanks, Mareike.”

“No problem. See you in a few hours.”

Paul took one last look at Hugh and smiled at his boyfriend. He was getting better. Hugh better not scare him like that again. He didn’t like to be worried sick about him. That was Hugh’s job. Paul hoped that when he came back he’d be able to hold Hugh’s hand again. It would calm his own nerves just to touch him.

 

*~*~*

 

Starfleet Medical discharged Hugh the following morning with a clean bill of health. Paul met him at the door, holding a bag on his shoulder with some of his things in it. He planned on sleeping over at Hugh’s place tonight. He didn’t want to leave him alone yet when Hugh was still a bit weak and tired. Hugh immediately stepped over to him and kissed Paul gently. He held Hugh tight, conveying his worry and his affection. Hugh broke the embrace first, but kept his arm around Paul as they walked to the lobby and out into the morning rain.

“You’re really okay?” Paul asked for the dozenth time after they arrived at Hugh’s apartment and he’d gotten Hugh settled on the couch in the living room.

“Really. I’m okay. I’m just tired and a bit hungry.” He smiled as Paul put his mug of tea directly into his hands.

Paul gently kissed his forehead. “Want me to make some breakfast?”

“That would be lovely. Thank you.”

Paul disappeared into Hugh’s small kitchen and decided he wanted to make it from ingredients, instead of the replicator. Hugh lay quietly, reading something on his PADD as Paul worked. He replicated all of the foods he needed and prepped them. It was time consuming, but it tasted better this way. Once he finished, Paul carried the two plates into the living room.

Hugh moved his legs so Paul could sit next to him. “That looks delicious, Paul.”

“Thanks. I like cooking. It calms my nerves sometimes.”

Hugh took his hand after Paul set the plates on the table. “I’m sorry about scaring you and making you uncomfortably anxious. I never want you to worry about me being so sick. But there is some risk with my job. Yours too.” Hugh kissed his recently injured palm.

“I know.” Paul swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. I – I…”

Hugh rubbed Paul’s cheek with his hand. “I feel the same.”

Tears welled in Paul’s eyes and he held Hugh’s hand on his cheek. “I love you, Hugh.”

“Paul, I love you too.”

They kissed again, letting their lips linger long after it ended. They spoke in soft whispers for a little while, holding each other tightly. Breakfast waited on the table until both Paul and Hugh were ready. They spent the rest of the day, nuzzled together and recovering, both in the arms of the one they loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go! Just the epilogue. Thanks for joining me on this AU journey with the kissing booth. I've loved writing these romantic scenes with our favorite couple, Paul and Hugh. 
> 
> I'd love to hear your thoughts. Comments are life! Thanks!


	9. Epilogue - First Anniversary

The sunlight pouring in from the window warmed the blankets as the sound of birds wishing each other a good morning reached his ears. Paul stretched and rolled onto his side toward Hugh’s side of the bed. He frowned, seeing his spot empty. A soft sound drew his attention. Paul turned his gaze to see Hugh standing in the doorway to their room. He wore Paul’s dark blue dress shirt from the night before with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, the shirt unbuttoned, and his briefs. Hugh took a sip from the mug in his hand as he smiled at Paul.

“Good morning, love.” Hugh greeted, moving over to the bed. He set down his mug on the bedside table and flopped down on his stomach. “Did you sleep well?” he asked with a knowing looking on his face.

Paul’s blush went down his neck as he remembered last night. “Yes. I slept very well.” He popped up on his elbow and leaned in to kiss Hugh. He listened to Hugh’s soft sounds of content as they kissed and Hugh put a hand behind his neck. “Did you bring me coffee?” Paul asked after several minutes.

“I might have.” Hugh rolled over and picked up the mug. He carefully handed it to Paul.

Paul greedily took a swig of the coffee and moaned. “Yes.”

“Be careful or we’re going to have a repeat of last night,” Hugh teased.

“Fine with me,” Paul growled, putting his mouth on Hugh’s neck.

Hugh closed his eyes, letting Paul work his way around his neck and to his mouth again. “Normally, I’d love to, but we have plans this morning. Justin will be waiting for us.”

Paul sighed and buried his face in Hugh’s chest. “I don’t want to spend my anniversary with Straal. I’d rather stay in bed with you.”

“That’s why we went for dinner and dessert last night to celebrate. We have obligations today.” Hugh gently lifted Paul’s face so he could see him. “If you behave, maybe I could get us more of that delicious dessert from last night.” He lowered his voice. “I think it’s your turn to go down first.”

Paul kissed him hungrily. Hugh returned the kiss, but broke it a moment later and rolled out of bed. Paul groaned and covered his face with Hugh’s pillow, breathing in his scent.

Hugh laughed. “Would you like to shower with me before we go? We have time.”

It was the faster Hugh ever saw Paul get out of bed. He nearly spilled his coffee and tripped over the blanket around his foot, but managed to jump out of bed and race Hugh to the shower.

After their shower, which took a lot longer than normal, they both dressed and had breakfast of waffles and fruit. Paul practically sat on Hugh’s lap, trying to stay at close to him as possible. Hugh found it endearing and adorable. When he said so, Paul blushed a deep red and shook his head, but he didn’t move to give Hugh any more space.

“Are you ready?” Hugh asked, standing by the door to their apartment.

Paul stumbled into the living room with one red sneaker in his hand and looking a bit lost. “I can’t find my other shoe.”

“This shoe?” Hugh asked, holding up Paul’s sneaker.

“My Prince Charming,” Paul muttered, putting a hand to his forehead and pretending to swoon.

Hugh motioned for him to sit down on the couch. Paul pulled on one shoe, leaving it untied. Hugh knelt in front of him and slipped the other shoe onto his boyfriend’s foot and tying both laces. “If I’m Prince Charming, that makes you Cinderella and I expect you to wear a dress tonight.”

“Only until midnight and my pumpkin disappears.” Paul rolled his eyes, but continued to smile.

“How about I wear the dress instead?” Hugh kissed him and stood up.

Paul took his hand and walked with him to the door. He could definitely get on-board with Hugh wearing a dress and maybe a tiara of some kind. They could figure it out later.

The fall air was crisp, but the sun was warm. Hugh kept his arm around Paul’s waist as they walked. It was very sweet. He had no idea what they were doing today. Hugh kept telling him they had plans with Straal, but he neglected to say what the plans were. Paul didn’t like the anticipation of the surprise. Paul made a face when he finally saw where they were headed. He’d forgotten. All of the excitement for his first anniversary with Hugh had pushed the Starfleet Carnival out of his mind. The sounds and smells of the carnival assaulted his senses. Paul tried to turn around, but Hugh put his hand on his shoulder to stop him. Straal and his girlfriend Amelia were waiting about twenty feet away.

“No kissing booth this time, just you and me. Promise.” Hugh pressed his forehead to Paul’s. “I know it’s cheesy, but this is where we met and had our first kiss. I thought it would be a cute way to celebrate our anniversary.”

Paul made a face.

“We don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.” Hugh smiled, but then stuck out his lower lip in a fake pout.

“Some of the rides make me motion sick,” Paul muttered after a few moments.

Hugh drew him closer and kissed him softly. “How do carnival rides make you sick, but traveling in space doesn’t?”

“I’m not spinning around really fast in space, not like that.” Paul shrugged. “I don’t want to throw up on our anniversary.”

“Okay, no rides that go round and round.”

Paul gave him a small smile. “Can I have Bomb-pop Lemonade and cotton candy?”

Hugh laughed, a beautiful sound, one of Paul’s absolute favorites. “You’re going to be on a sugar-high then. I know you too well. But deal.”

“I don’t get a sugar-high,” Paul said, looking down at Hugh’s chest.

Hugh put a hand beneath his chin and lifted his face to meet his. He kissed him again. “Yes, you do. Don’t you remember what happened on Valentine’s Day? You ate an entire box of fancy chocolates and then thought it was funny to dress-up in a lacy red thong and wait on the couch for me to come home.”

Even the tips of Paul’s ears turned red at the memory. “So?”

“We were still living with Justin and he got home first. I loved it, but he was a bit weirded out.”

“That’s only one –”

“And there was the time I made a special dessert of dulce de coco and you initiated a tickle-fest. I admit, that one turned out really well since we ended up naked and licking fudge off each other.”

Paul squeezed Hugh’s hand. “Does this mean no cotton candy?”

“No, you can. Sugary-Paul is even more fun! Come on; let’s go meet Justin and Amelia.”

They held hands as they walked over to Straal and Amelia. The couple greeted them, not saying anything about Paul’s previous hesitation. They walked into the carnival as a group and started looking at the booths as children ran around with their parents. Paul gave a soft smile to a little girl in a blue dress who accidentally ran into his leg. Her mom apologized and called the little girl back to her side.

“So, how’s the final work on your submission for the mycelium spore drive?” Hugh asked Straal.

Paul gave him a look that Hugh ignored. Hugh already knew how it was going. They were getting closer to finishing their proposal for Starfleet, but the final pieces were hard to put together. Paul had been staying late at the lab almost every night, but Hugh banned him from working on it while they were celebrating their anniversary. Paul protested, but he was grateful for the break.

Straal answered the question as Amelia clung to his hand, listening intently. Paul liked her. She was sweet, but also was able to dish Straal as much sarcasm as he could deal. They worked. Hugh asked him another question, but Paul wasn’t paying attention. He watched as two little teenage boys walked hand and hand, one of them clutching a big stuffed dog, clearly won from one of the booths. They both smiled at each other with hearts in their eyes. It was cute. Gosh, he was sappy today. Paul refocused on the conversation, but they’d switched topics.

“Ooo, that one!” Amelia exclaimed, pointing at a spinning ride full of screaming adults and kids.

Paul felt his stomach flip-flop at the sight of it. “You guys go ahead.”

Justin patted his shoulder. “How about we meet up in a little bit? I think there’s a kiddy boat ride somewhere that you might like.”

“Ha. Very funny. Did you get here early and stop at a face-painting booth?”

They both smiled and Hugh broke the tension by taking Paul’s hand and squeezing it. They agreed to meet up later for lunch so Amelia and Justin could ride the rides. Paul was thankful. Hugh and Paul weaved between the booths, trying not to run into anyone. They watched a few kids playing a duck game, flipping over floating ducks for small prizes. Unlike carnivals of the past, the games were no longer rigged. Everyone won some kind of prize when they played. It didn’t diminish the games, but made it more fun for families. Paul watched a guy putting a necklace around his girlfriend’s neck. He opened his mouth to say something to Hugh, but caught wind of a delicious smell.

He grinned. “Hugh.” Paul gave his hand a tight squeeze and pulled him in the direction of the scent. A funnel-cake booth. He breathed in deep and sighed. “I love funnel-cake.”

Hugh went up to the window and ordered one with extra powdered sugar. He carried it to a small table where they could sit and eat. Paul immediately pulled off a piece and devoured it, causing Hugh to laugh at his enthusiasm.

“I love you,” Hugh asked, wiping powdered sugar off of Paul’s nose and licking his finger. “Happy Anniversary.”

“I love you too.” Paul pulled off another piece and motioned for Hugh to open his mouth.

He opened his mouth and let Paul feed him. Adorable. Paul brushed powdered sugar off of Hugh’s nose in return and took his time sucking it off his finger. “Oh Paul. I love you just the way you are.”

“Good. I wasn’t planning on changing.”

“I know.” Hugh pulled another piece off, this time feeding it to Paul.

Talking quietly, they finished the funnel cake. Paul ended up eating most of it, but Hugh didn’t mind.

“I actually have an anniversary gift for you.” Hugh took a drink of water.

“I thought we weren’t going to do gifts until later.” Paul frowned.

“Well, you don’t get the gift until later, but I wanted to give you a little hint.”

Hugh leaned in and whispered in Paul’s ear, something low and seductive. Immediately Paul’s expression changed and he squirmed in his seat. He ran his hand down Hugh’s cheek, murmuring about how much he loved him and kissed him. Hugh ended the kiss to keep from it getting inappropriate for a public location. Paul had a hard time focusing on anything else after that. His smile was infectious. They both were really looking forward to later.

They continued walking around the carnival, making sure to steer clear of the Kissing Booth and a face-painting booth with a guy dressed as a creepy clown. Hugh kept one hand in Paul’s back pocket, making his face flush and not from the afternoon sun. Once the sugar kicked in, Paul became giggly and kept finding little reasons to kiss Hugh. At one point, Hugh almost suggested that they leave and come back later. He really wanted to give his gift to Paul, but he promised Straal to make sure Paul didn’t run away. When the sun finally started to set, they said good-night to Straal and Amelia, heading home.

Paul stopped Hugh outside of their apartment door. “Thank you. For putting up with me and not just today. You’ve made me so happy and I love being with you.”

“Paul, it’s not always easy to love you, but I chose to love you every day and I won’t stop loving you.” Hugh gave him a tender kiss, squirming a little underneath Paul’s touch. “Now are you ready to go inside? I’ve been waiting all day.”

Paul roughly grabbed Hugh’s shirt and pushed him into their apartment. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask.”

They headed into the bedroom to celebrate their anniversary, the first of many.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for joining me on this AU adventure! I really had fun writing these romantic and hurt/comfort scenes with Hugh and Paul. This is the sweet Culmets that I needed right now. I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did!
> 
> I'd love to hear a final comment! It gives me life and inspires me to write more.
> 
> Thanks again!  
> Emma

**Author's Note:**

> Note: This does vary from the comic where Paul and Hugh meet in the cafe. In this fic, they are both in the Academy at the same time. Paul is working with Straal while Hugh is already a doctor, but working on becoming ready to be placed on a starship.


End file.
